The Horse Whisperer
by LuckyxLabradoodlexLoverx7
Summary: Full Summary Inside
1. Prologue

Disclaimer – I own nothing of RENT or the rights to the movie/book The Horse Whisperer, although I have both the movie and book. They belong to their respected owners. I do own my original characters and the plot. 'Nuff said.

_**Italics **_are flashbacks and thoughts.

A/N: I got this idea while re-reading The Horse Whisperer for the 10th time. Also, watching the movie Buck inspired me – it's about a horse trainer, similar to Tom Booker in the movie/book The Horse Whisperer.

Summary: AU: Takes place in 2012. Mimi is a single mother raising sixteen-year-old Sierra. When Sierra and her best friend Katie go riding one snowy afternoon, it turns terrifying – Katie and her horse lose their lives while Sierra survives with half her leg. Her horse, however, turns vicious and untrusting because of the accident. Mimi drives Sierra and her horse to Montana where famous horse trainer, Roger Davis, lives. Slowly, Mimi falls in love with him. Rated T because I'm paranoid and for character deaths.

Genre: Romance/Drama

Rating: T

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CHAPTER ONE  
(chapter title – Prologue)

It was a cold blustery day in January and sixteen-year-old Sierra Marquez was on her way to her favorite place in the world – the horse stable where her horse, Hercules, was kept. Hercules was a bay Thoroughbred gelding with four uneven white socks and a broad blaze that ran down his beautiful face. Sierra placed him between sixteen and eighteen years of age. She had bought him over the summer and he was a loyal companion.

"Hey Sierra!" a familiar voice called. Sierra smiled and stepped away from Hercules' stall to greet her best friend, Katie Hawn. Katie had shoulder-length blond hair, sparkling blue eyes and stood at least five inches taller than Sierra. Sierra and Katie had been best friends since birth – their mothers shared a hospital room.

Sierra was the opposite of Katie – she had dark skin, hair and eyes like her mother. She didn't know anything about her father, other than he left when Mimi had been expecting Sierra.

"Who do you plan on riding today?" Sierra asked, tugging on Katie's ponytail. Katie shrugged her shoulders and walked down the row of stalls until she came to her favorite horse – a tall chestnut Thoroughbred mare named Hershey.

Katie had decided to put her horse, Faithful, down over the summer. Faithful was old and Katie's mother – a big animal vet – thought that Katie was doing the right thing. Sierra had been with Katie on that tragic day. Now Katie was in the process of buying a new horse – she had her heart set on Hershey, but Hershey belonged to the stable owner, Mrs. Parker, and both girls knew that Mrs. Parker would never sell any of her horses.

"Have them back by one – I have a class to teach and Hershey is in the class!" Mrs. Parker yelled after the girls as they exited the barn.

"We promise Mrs. Parker!" Katie called over her shoulder.

The girls guided the horses to their favorite trail, talking and laughing the entire time.

"Heard from your dad at all?" Sierra asked Katie. She shook her head sadly, her eyes straight ahead. The trail cut through a busy intersection, so both girls had to be extremely careful when they got there.

"Not a single word. The last we heard from him is that he's in Florida, working at Disney World." Katie huffed. Katie's dad had left her mom, Katie and Katie's younger sister, Rosie, for a younger woman.

"I have no idea where my dad is and nor do I care. Mom doesn't seem to care, either." Sierra put in, hoping that would help her friend.

"How's your mom doing?" Katie wanted to know.

"She's busy as ever." Sierra answered. Mimi worked as a lawyer, so she worked long hours, often leaving Sierra to fend for herself.

"That's right – she has that important case coming up, doesn't she?" Katie inquired. Sierra nodded, not wanting to talk about parents or their jobs anymore.

"You wanna trot to the bridge?" Sierra asked, motioning with her head where the bridge was. They were near the intersection, so they had to be careful now.

Suddenly, Hercules reared and as soon as his feet touched the ground, he was off like a rocket, headed for the busy intersection.

"Ow! My foot's stuck!" Sierra complained as she was thrown from the saddle. Katie guided Hershey over to grab Hercules' reins, but they were ten inches out of reach.

Without the girls knowing it, they were in the road and a truck was headed right for them!

The trucker tooted his horn to let the girls and horses know he was coming, but it was too late.

Everything happened so fast – the truck killed Katie and Hershey, Sierra was thrown from the saddle, her left leg crushed by Hershey's heavy body.

Hercules took off and headed for the woods. He was bloody and bruised. Something about the accident changed his sweet-nurtured personality and nobody knew how to turn it back.

"Yes, tell Judy to get those files to me right away. Also, tell Melany that I still need the notes from the Knight vs. Munroe case. Hold on, Frank, I'm getting another call." Mimi told her assistant, putting him on hold so that she could answer the other line. "Hello Mimi Marquez speaking. Oh, hello Miranda. Yes, I was aware that Sierra went riding this morning. What do you mean she's not back yet? Katie's not back either? They're what? Okay, I'll be right there. Uh huh. How's Hercules? Dear God. I'll be right there." Mimi wiped the tears out of her eyes as she spoke with her assistant. "Frank, I just got called to the hospital – my daughter is in critical condition, her best friend is dead and her horse has turned into a wild man. Thanks. Talk to you later."

Mimi hung up the phone and drove as fast as she could to the hospital, hoping that Sierra would be okay.


	2. Tough Love and Difficult Choices

CHAPTER TWO  
(chapter title – Tough Love and Difficult Choices)

Mimi felt tears in her eyes as she entered Sierra's hospital room. Her little girl was sitting up in bed, reading a book. In Mimi's eyes, Sierra would always be her little girl.

"Hi sweetie. I came as fast as I could." Mimi broke the silence and sat on the edge of the bed. Sierra continued reading. Mimi could see tears streaming down her daughter's beautiful face.

"I can't believe they're gone!" Sierra wailed. Mimi put the book on the bedside table and held Sierra's hand in hers.

"I know what you're going through, sweetie." Mimi said, ignoring her vibrating cell phone. Her daughter was her number one priority right now.

"Ms. Marquez, may I speak with you?" a handsome-faced doctor asked Mimi. Mimi nodded and followed the doctor to the hallway.

"What's wrong?" Mimi inquired.

"Well, there's some good news and some bad news. The good news is that Sierra will be able to go about her business as usual. The bad news is that her left leg was crushed under the weight of the horse, so we had to remove it to right under the knee. Tomorrow, she'll be fitted with a prosthetic leg and start physical therapy. I really don't want her riding again until she's made a full recovery or until she's ready." The doctor told Mimi. She felt her heart stop in her chest – her daughter would be deformed for the rest of her life, but that didn't bother Mimi – she loved Sierra, no matter what happened to her.

"What are some options for physical therapy?" Mimi asked after a long silence.

"There's yoga, Pilates, dance or swimming – those are the ones that are the best for physical therapy." The doctor told Mimi. Mimi glanced back at Sierra, who was now watching some TV. She then turned her attention back to the doctor.

"I'll talk with Sierra about her options then I'll get back with you." Mimi informed the doctor. He nodded and walked off. Mimi took a deep breath and entered the hospital room.

"What did the doc have to say?" Sierra inquired, not taking her eyes off the soap opera she was watching.

"Do you think we could talk?" Mimi asked, ignoring her vibrating cell phone.

"Sure." Sierra answered, turning off the TV.

"Well, I talked with the doctor and they had to remove part of your left leg." Mimi started, feeling the tears come to her eyes. "They removed it, but now you're going to have a protestic leg and some physical therapy."

"What kind of physical therapy? Is riding involved?" Sierra questioned, eyes hopeful. Mimi shook her head.

"The doctor doesn't want you riding right now. He suggested dance, swimming, Pilates or yoga." Mimi said. Sierra leaned back against the pillows.

"I'll start with yoga." Sierra told her mother after a long silence. There was a knock on the door and Mrs. Hawn – Katie's mother – stepped through the door.

"I know it wasn't your fault that Katie's dead." Mrs. Hawn started. "It was the damn truck driver's fault. You were her best friend – why didn't you stop him from hitting my girl?"

"Mrs. Hawn, I really couldn't do anything about it. We were too far apart to help each other." Sierra told her best friend's mother.

"If only I had said no to Katie riding this morning, then none of this would've happened!" Mrs. Hawn yelled at Sierra.

"I think it's time you left, Miranda." Mimi told the other woman. Mrs. Hawn took one last look at Sierra and exited the hospital room. She turned around in the doorway so she was facing them. "I'm sorry for the way I spoke there. I'm just so upset about my daughter. When you're well enough, you can come to her funeral."

"I wouldn't miss her funeral for anything in the world." Sierra told Mrs. Hawn. Mrs. Hawn smiled and walked down the hallway and out of sight.

"I'm proud of you about how you handled that." Mimi told Sierra.

"Mom, I'm really tired, so could you please leave?" Sierra questioned. Mimi nodded, kissed Sierra's forehead and exited the room, feeling the tears forming.

Towards evening, Mimi returned to the hospital to stay with Sierra. Mimi went to the cafeteria to get Sierra some food. She ended up getting some macaroni and cheese, broccoli, roasted chicken and a fruit cup. To drink, she got Sierra a bottle of water. Mimi paid for the food and took it up to Sierra's room.

Sierra was reading the latest Nicholas Sparks novel when Mimi entered the room, setting the tray of food on the table next to the bed. Sierra took an ear bud out and thanked her mom before going back to her music and her book.

"Your book any good?" Mimi asked, taking a bite of macaroni and cheese.

"Yeah. Penney just lost her daughter in a fire and now Ted is there to reassure her." Sierra answered, taking a bite of broccoli. "Mom, I miss Katie and Hershey."

"I know you do, sweetie." Mimi assured her daughter, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Do you know anything about Hercules?" Sierra asked.

"I know he killed a lion." Mimi answered, a small smile on her face. Sierra rolled her eyes at the comment.

"Not the Greek God. My horse." Sierra confirmed.

"No, honey. They still haven't found him."

"Do you think the truck killed him, too?"

"I don't think so – the vet said that there was only one horse at the scene and that was Hershey."

The two of them talked a little longer before Sierra felt herself get tired. Mimi kissed the top of her head and covered her with a blanket she had brought from home. She also made sure Sierra had her favorite stuffed animal – a pink pig named Piggy.

Mimi knew her daughter would be all right – it would take time for her leg and heart to heal.


	3. Katie's Funeral and Hope for Sierra

CHAPTER THREE  
(chapter title – Katie's Funeral and Hope for Sierra)

Katie's funeral happened on a cold, dark, rainy mid-February afternoon. Sierra could feel cold eyes on her as she entered the funeral home with her mother closely behind her.

"Mom, why are they all staring at me like I'm a mass murderer?" Sierra whispered, taking a seat towards the back. Her protestic leg was hurting, so Mimi gave her some aspirin to dull the pain.

The preacher gave the eulogy, which made Sierra cry. Every single one of his words was honest and heart-breaking.

Next was a song out of the hymnal and some more talking. Sierra kept glancing around at the funeral goers. She recognized Katie's cousins, Skylar, Tiffany, Sara and Ross sitting towards the front. Next to them was Katie's aunt Helen and uncle Richard. Richard was Mrs. Hawn's older brother and was a nice guy.

"And now, Sierra Marquez, Katie's best friend, would like to say a few words." The preacher's words startled Sierra back to reality. Sierra gulped, stood up and grabbed her cane. She could feel everyone's eyes on her.

As Sierra stood looking out at the crowd, she felt butterflies in her stomach. She looked at the words she had written the night before and felt her hands start to shake. She cleared her throat and stared out into the audience, scared as hell.

She talked about how she and Katie had met and their lives together. They were practically sisters and were never out of each other's sight. Then came time to talk about the accident, which she was still healing from.

"I know that Katie is in heaven, smiling down on all of us today." Sierra concluded, gathering her paper in her hand and headed back to her seat.

At the luncheon that happened afterward, Sierra and Mimi ended up sharing a table with some of Katie's other friends. There was Sasha from cheerleading camp, Kallie from rodeo camp, Ivy from bible and cheerleading camp and Edwina from ballet.

Sierra felt comfortable talking to these girls who she barely knew, but inside they all had a connection to Katie and that what was important.

"Does it hurt?" Kallie inquired, indicating to Sierra's leg.

"Sometimes it does, but the physical therapy helps a lot." Sierra answered.

"What type of physical therapy are you doing?" Edwina questioned.

"I was doing yoga and now I'm doing Pilates four times a week. It's helping a lot." Sierra told her.

"I hope you get better soon. Do you plan to ride after you make a full recovery?" Sasha wanted to know.

Sierra shook her head and avoided her eyes. Mimi took that as her cue to turn the conversation around.

On their way home from the luncheon, Mimi's cell phone rang.

"Sierra, could you answer that?" Mimi inquired. Sierra nodded and answered her mother's cell phone.

"Hello? No, this is her daughter. You found him? Where? We're on our way." Sierra's conversation was short and to the point. She hung up the phone and turned to her mother.

"Well? What is it?" Mimi inquired.

"They found Hercules – he's under the Picture Bridge. He's bleeding and some of his muscle is exposed in some places." Sierra responded, trying to hold back vile. Mimi rubbed her daughter's back as they pulled over and Sierra hurled into the bushes growing by the roadside.

Once Sierra felt like herself, she gave Mimi directions to where Hercules was waiting for them.


	4. Finding Hercules and Contacting Roger

**A/N: For the purpose of this story, Roger & Mark are brothers.**

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CHAPTER FOUR  
(chapter title – Finding Hercules and Contacting Roger)

It didn't take long to get to Picture Bridge. Even before Mimi could pull the car to a stop, Sierra was already hopping out of the car and hobbling towards the bridge.

"Sierra! Wait!" Mimi called after her daughter, but Sierra didn't seem to hear her.

There were all sorts of people under the bridge, including Mrs. Hawn's assistant vet, Dr. Nichols, standing with his feet apart, his rifle aimed at a horse's face.

"No! Don't shoot!" Sierra yelled, startling both the vet and the horse.

"Sierra, this has nothing to do with you!" Dr. Nichols growled, steadying his rifle and footing.

"This has _everything _to do with me!" Sierra yelled at the assistant vet. The vet and Mimi looked at Sierra as if she had sprung an extra head.

"Sierra Rose Marquez – that is NOT how you talk to people! Now apologize!" Mimi snapped at Sierra. The horse suddenly bolted out of where it was standing and into the light. Sierra had to swallow back some more bile as she looked at her horse.

His beautiful face was smashed in and there was a long scratch that ran down the middle of his blaze. His coat was matted and Sierra could see bone and some muscle sticking out beneath his skin. In some places, his skin had fallen off, leaving bloody marks whenever he walked or ran. His ears were flattened against his head and Sierra knew that he was angry. Animal control carefully snaked their way towards the horse, who would buck and limp off.

They eventually caught him and loaded him onto a trailer. Sierra could hear him making a fuss in the trailer – kicking the walls, neighing loudly and getting angry.

Sierra had to take a few breaths and vomit as she came to realize that her horse had turned into a monster. She felt tears in her eyes and also felt Mimi wrap an arm around her shaking shoulders.

The two of them got into the car and followed the trailer to the vet's office. Mrs. Hawn wouldn't be in, so it was Dr. Nichols who would be telling them their options regarding Hercules.

It didn't take long to get to the large animal clinic that Mrs. Hawn and Dr. Nichols ran. Sierra remembered her first pony, Mollie, being brought here when she had a serious colic attack. Mollie didn't make it and passed away at 2:35 in the morning. Sierra was ten-years-old at the time.

It wasn't until the summer of her sixteenth year that she wanted another horse. Mimi and Sierra drove to Kentucky to get Sierra her dream horse. They returned home late that night with Hercules' Promise, also known as Hercules.

Her mother slamming the car door loudly in Sierra's ear jarred Sierra out of her daydream. Sierra rubbed her ear, shot her mother a dirty look and got out of the car, her arms folded across her chest.

"Good, you're here." Dr. Nichols told the two women as they entered the barn. Sierra could hear horses whinnying, snorting and shuffling in their stalls as the three of them walked passed them.

Hercules was stabled between a black horse and an Applassoa mare and her young foal. The black horse put its head over the stall door and nickered at Sierra. She smiled and went to pet it when she saw that one of its eyes was stapled shut. She then looked at the name card that was stapled to the front of the stall. In black letters were the words 'Morning Star'.

"Star's my horse. He got into a fight with another stallion and lost an eye." Dr. Nichols seemed to read Sierra's mind. He had Sierra look at Hercules while he pulled Mimi aside.

Hercules looked a little better – he had white bandages covering 77 percent of his body, including his legs and face. He was on his side facing away from Sierra. She dug in her pocket and found a carrot.

"Hey buddy. Want a carrot?" Sierra asked her beloved horse, holding the carrot flat in the middle of her hand, a small smile on her face.

Suddenly, Hercules lunged at Sierra, his ears pinned against his head. He also flashed his teeth, clearly angry or upset.

"Sierra! Get away from him! He's vicious!" Dr. Nichols told Sierra. Mimi stroked her daughter's hair, soothing her as Sierra cried into her top. She shot Dr. Nichols a dirty look as she continued soothing Sierra.

The following day, Sierra and Mimi went back to see Hercules. Sierra took a minute to plant a kiss at the end of Morning Star's nose and looked at the neighbors on the other side of Hercules. The mare's name was Raven and her ten-day-old filly had yet to be named.

Once the three horses had enough attention, Sierra turned her gaze to Hercules. There was a drastic change than yesterday – his coat was matted, as were his mane and tail. He had dirt and dried blood on his bandages. He stood in the far corner of his stall, head towards the wall. His back foot was cocked and his head was lowered.

Sierra smiled – he was sleeping, probably for the first time since the accident.

"Hi sweet boy." Sierra cooed. Hercules' head shot straight up and he charged the door, ears flat and teeth bared. This was NOT like her sweet-natured boy.

"Sierra, stay away from him – he's dangerous and the best thing to do is put him to sleep. He's no good alive." Dr. Nichols told Sierra. She narrowed her brown eyes and glared at the assistant vet.

"I WILL NOT PUT HIM DOWN!" Sierra yelled, startling some of the horses.

"Do not raise your voice here!" Nichols warned. That's when Mimi exited the office next to Raven's stall and made her way over to Sierra.

"What's going on out here?" Mimi inquired, looking from Sierra to Nichols and back to Sierra.

"He thinks I should put Hercules down." Sierra spat angrily. She had a short fuse when it came to things that she loved.

"Why would you suggest that?" Mimi rounded on the assistant vet.

"He's dangerous and we're getting nowhere with him!" Nichols argued.

"He's been though a disaster! How'd you think he'd respond – jump through hoops like a trained circus pony?" Mimi snarled. Sierra smiled at her mom. Mimi also had a short temper, maybe that's because she had Latin blood coursing through her veins.

"Dr. Nichols, here's that number you wanted me to get." Bob Danvers – one of the trainers and also the owner of Raven and her filly – told Dr. Nichols. Dr. Nichols nodded and handed the number to Mimi.

"This is number is for you – it belongs to a friend of mine. Call him up to get a handle on your horse." Bob told Mimi. She looked at the business card in her hand.

ROGER M. DAVIS

OWNER OF NO DAY BUT TODAY CATTLE RANCH

HORSE WHISPERER

12855 WHISPERWOOD DRIVE

ENGLEWOOD, MONTANA

13488

1-894-229-1857 – Barn

1-894-288-0947 – Roger's Cell

1-894-009-2447 - Mark's Cell

1-894-113-6745 – Fax

ASK FOR ROGER OR MARK

"Thanks. I'll call him now." Mimi announced, taking the card into the office and closed the door. She sat at the desk and dialed the number, holding her breath.

"Hello?" a male's voice answered on the fifth ring. Mimi let out a sigh.

"Hi. My name is Mimi Marquez. I'm looking for Roger Davis."

"Speaking. How'd you get this number?"

"From the business card my assistant vet gave me. Mr. Davis, I'm calling on behalf of my daughter's horse. He's become untrainable and vicious. There was an accident here in January and he's in bad shape. I was hoping that you could come to New York and see him-"

"Ms. Marquez – I can't just leave my family here and drive to New York. I've got things to do and people to see."

"Well, we'll just come see you."

"Understand, Ms. Marquez-"

"Mimi, please."

"Okay, Mimi. Understand that you can't just pack up your daughter, horse and you and drive to Montana."

"Please – my horse and daughter could use your help."

There was a pause on the other line and Mimi thought she heard a child's voice. She then heard Roger pick the phone back up. "Sorry about that, my son, Taylor, needed me to see something out in the barn."

"You have children?"

"Yes – three. Two girls and a boy."

"Then you can sympathize with me in raising kids."

"How old is your daughter?"

"Sixteen."

"We're getting off topic here. Look, if you come, call me when you get close and I'll come see the horse."

"Thanks. I'll let you know when we leave."

"Okay, Mimi."

Mimi sighed and hung up the phone – what had she gotten herself into?


	5. The Harsh Reality and The Drive

CHAPTER FIVE  
(chapter title – The Harsh Reality and The Drive)

Mimi waited until Sierra was finished with school before they went on their road trip. It took Dr. Hawn, Dr. Nichols, Mimi and three grooms to get Hercules in the trailer. Sierra was upset about going on the trip, but they were doing this for Hercules and for her benefit.

Sierra rolled her eyes and climbed in the back of the truck, instantly putting on her headphones and put on her favorite Green Day album. She turned up the volume loud, but not so loud that it would blow out her eardrums.

An hour into their drive, Mimi looked into the rearview mirror to see that Sierra was fast asleep, her head resting on her stuffed Husky she had brought with her. Sierra had also brought Piggy, but he was in the duffel bag that contained her clothes. Mimi decided to let Sierra sleep and would wake her up in a little while so that they could grab lunch and stretch their legs.

Two hours later, Mimi stopped again – this time at a convience store. She turned around and saw that Sierra was awake, looking out the window.

"You need anything?" Mimi asked.

"Some more batteries – double As, please. Oh, and some more Cheetos – I'm almost done with this bag." Sierra told her mom, adjusting her position in the seat, drawing the purple, blue and green striped blanket over her shoulders and got out the latest book she was reading.

Mimi sighed and entered the convience store, getting some batteries, Cheetos and some soda for herself. She paid for the items and went back to the car, shocked to see Sierra in the front seat.

"Decided to keep me company?" Mimi asked, handing Sierra the bag of Cheetos. Sierra smiled and watched her mom climb in the car.

"You mind if we turn on the radio?" Sierra inquired, taking off her headphones. Her CD player had died and she got carsick if she read in the car too long, so in other words, she was bored.

"Not at all." Mimi told her daughter, driving out of the convience store and back onto the highway. Sierra could hear the trailer creaking behind them and wondered if Hercules was okay.

Sierra let out a frustrated sigh and turned off the radio – there was nothing on. It was either static or religious stations.

"Can we play a game?" Sierra asked, shutting off the radio.

"Honey, I can't really play, but if you want to get out my iPhone, you can play a game or listen to Pandora." Mimi told Sierra. Sierra smiled and dug through her mom's purse until she found her mom's phone.

"Mom, can you tell me a little about dad?" Sierra asked, putting Mimi's phone away. She had played a dozen games of Die Zombie Die, Angry Birds, Connect the Dots and Draw Something and was completely bored.

"What do you want to know about him?" Mimi asked, turning on the windshield wipers. It was starting to rain and there was no cell phone reception, so Sierra decided to chat with her mom.

"First off, what's his name?"

"Joseph."

"How did you two meet?"

"In a karaoke bar – I lost a bet and had to sing Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."

"Did you love him?"

"I did, that is until I found out he had another family in Kentucky."

"How'd you find out?"

"I called him to let him know that I was expecting you and a strange woman's voice answered the phone. I hung up and never spoke to him again."

Sierra looked out the window, trying to picture what her father looked like. There weren't any framed pictures of him anywhere in the house, so Sierra spent all of her sixteen years dreaming him up.

"He had tanned skin, curly strawberry blond hair, gray eyes and stood about five inches taller than me." Mimi said, seeming to read Sierra's thoughts.

"He sounds handsome."

"He was."

"Can I meet him?"

Mimi almost pulled the car off the road, startling Sierra and Hercules.

"Mom, don't do that!"

"Why do you want to meet your father?"

"Why not? He's one of the people who created me."

Mimi raised an eyebrow and shook her head at her daughter.

"I don't know how to contact him. I threw his number away years ago. I also lost his address."

"You know, there are these really neat inventions called the Internet and the phone book!"

Mimi rolled her eyes – Sierra could be so sarcastic sometimes.

"Ha, ha. Very funny. I may be old, but I'm not THAT old."

Sierra laughed and looked in the rearview mirror at the trailer – it was still rolling behind them.

"Where the heck are we?" Sierra asked, stretching and yawning. According to her cell phone clock, they had been driving all day and had traveled through at least four states.

"Somewhere in Iowa." Mimi answered, driving into a motel.

"I don't like Iowa."

"Why not?"

"I always get the Iowa State University fight song stuck in my head."

Mimi rolled her eyes again and stopped the truck. Ms. Parker had set Mimi and Sierra up with friends of hers to stay with while they were on their journey to Montana.

"Welcome!" a tall woman greeted them as Mimi and Sierra stepped out of the truck.

"Hi – you must be Robbie. Ms. Parker – I mean Gina – has told us all about you." Mimi told the woman as four men approached the van. "I take it she told you about Hercules."

Robbie nodded sadly and watched the men get the wild horse out of the trailer. Robbie then guided Sierra and Mimi into the house and away from the gruesome sight.

"How was your travels so far?" Robbie asked as she handed them a bowl of chili with a grilled cheese sandwich, ripe strawberries, salad and lemonade to drink.

"So far, so good. Thanks for letting us stay here." Mimi thanked the other woman. Robbie smiled and took a drink of lemonade. Sierra picked at her salad and ate some chili.

"Tell me something about yourself, Sierra." Robbie said.

"I'm sixteen, soon to be seventeen. I lost my best friend, her horse and my leg in an accident in January. Favorite band is Green Day. Favorite singers are Lady Gaga, Jason Mraz, Ke$ha, Bruno Mars, Jason Aldean, P!nk, David Cook and Adele. Favorite colors are green, blue, black and pink. Favorite animals are horses, dogs, cats and giraffes. Favorite book series are either the Harry Potter, Twilight, Pendragon, Hunger Games or Vampire Academy series. Favorite authors are Nicholas Sparks, J.K. Rowling and Suzanne Collins. What else do you want to know?"

"What college do you want to go to?" Robbie inquired.

"I plan to attend the community college – I don't have enough money to get into a real college."

The conversation was like that for the rest of dinner. Mimi and Sierra offered to do dishes while Robbie went to check on Hercules.

"What is the matter with you?" Mimi asked, rounding on Sierra.

"Huh?"

"Don't play dumb with me. Why the hell would you talk to Robbie like that? She's letting us stay with her and all during dinner, you were being rude."

"No, I wasn't."

Mimi shot Sierra a death glare.

"What?"

"You know I hate it when you're rude to people."

"Mom, I'm a teenager. I'm pretty much rude to everyone."

"I think you should apologize to Robbie when she comes back."

"For what? I'm sorry that I was a typical teenager?"

"Don't start with me young lady."

"I didn't start with you – what are we even fighting about, anyway?"

Mimi was about to answer when Robbie entered the house, followed by a short, squat man and a girl about Sierra's age.

"This is my husband, Charlie and daughter, Karli. Mimi, you'll be staying in the guest room and Sierra, you'll be rooming with Karli, okay?"

"Robbie, before I go anywhere, I want to apologize for my behavior during dinner. I was short with answering your questions." Sierra apologized. Robbie smiled and hugged Sierra close.

"Your behavior was fine, dear." Robbie assured Sierra. She then turned to the girl. "Karli, would you mind taking Sierra to your room, please?"

Sierra saw the other girl roll her light blue eyes and walk down a long hallway. Sierra didn't have any choice, but to follow her.

"Here's my room. Don't touch anything. Bathroom is across the hall. Go to bed early – we need to get up at 5:00 AM to help with chores." Karli told Sierra before she could say anything.

"Um, okay." Sierra said, exiting the house to get her duffel and backpack from the car. When she entered Karli's room, she saw a My Little Pony sleeping bag on the floor. "What's that?"

"Your bed." Karli answered, already climbing into bed.

"I just came to say goodnight. Karli Michelle – what did you do?" Robbie asked, glaring at her daughter.

"What you told me to do, mom. I got her a sleeping bag and pillow." Karli answered, flipping through a fashion magazine.

"Karli, you're sleeping on the floor tonight. Sierra, go ahead and take her bed." Robbie told the girls. Karli looked at her mother with pure hatred.

"Why should I give up my bed?" Karli spat.

"Because she's our guest. They'll be gone tomorrow and you can have your bed back then." Robbie answered, her tone calm.

Karli rolled her eyes and got off her bed. Sierra got her stuff on the bed and went to the bathroom to take a shower and brush her teeth.

When she entered the room, she saw Karli fast asleep. She had hoped that someday she and Karli would be friends.

Early the next morning, Mimi and Sierra were on their way to Montana. It was easy to get Hercules in the trailer – Mimi backed it up against the barn doors and he ran into it, Robbie quickly latching the doors behind him.

Sierra felt closer to her mother than before – they were traveling a long distance to hopefully get Hercules better and Sierra riding again.


	6. The Climb and Missing Katie

**Disclaimer - I don't own the song The Climb. Belongs to Miley Cyrus.**

* * *

CHAPTER SIX  
(chapter title – The Climb and Missing Katie)

Just after entering South Dakota, there was a big rainstorm, which had Mimi pull into a motel and check in. The owner of the motel told them that they could use the stables for their horse – there was lots of hay and plenty of water there.

After they got Hercules settled, Sierra got out her guitar and tuned it.

"I haven't seen you play your guitar much." Mimi told her daughter. Sierra smiled and went back to tuning her guitar, which she named Lola. Lola had been one of Sierra's favorite names.

"I'm gonna sing a new song I wrote. Wanna hear it?" Sierra asked. Mimi smiled and nodded.

"It's about overcoming obstacles and to stay strong, no matter what life throws your way." Sierra told her mother. "It's called The Climb."

"I love that title." Mimi told Sierra, sitting down on the bed across from Sierra. Sierra cleared her throat and strummed her guitar.

"_I can almost see it  
That dream I'm dreaming  
But there's a voice inside my head saying  
'You'll never reach it'_

_Every step I'm taking  
Every move I make feels  
Lost with no direction  
My faith is shaking_

_But I, I gotta keep trying  
Gotta keep my head held high_

_There's always gonna be another mountain  
I'm always gonna wanna make it move  
Always gonna be an uphill battle  
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose_

_Ain't about how fast I get there  
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side  
It's the climb_

_The struggles I'm facing  
The chances I'm taking  
Sometimes might knock me down  
But no, I'm not breaking_

_I may not know it  
But these are the moments that  
I'm gonna remember most, yeah  
Just gotta keep going_

_And I, I gotta be strong  
Just keep pushing on_

'_Cause there's always gonna be another mountain  
I'm always gonna wanna make it move  
Always gonna be an uphill battle  
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose_

_Ain't about how fast I get there  
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side  
It's the climb, yeah!_" Sierra sang, pausing to take an instrumental break. She smiled at Mimi and saw tears streaming down her cheeks.

"_There's always gonna be another mountain  
I'm always gonna wanna make it move  
Always gonna be an uphill battle  
Somebody's gonna have to lose_

_Ain't about how fast I get there  
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side  
It's the climb, yeah!_

_Keep on moving, keep climbing  
Keep the faith, baby  
It's all about, it's all about the climb  
Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa_." Sierra finished, putting her guitar down. Mimi got off the bed and hugged Sierra, too afraid to let her go.

"Honey, that was beautiful!" Mimi told Sierra as Sierra put her guitar away. Sierra smiled at her mother, knowing that was the highest praise Mimi could give her.

"Thanks. I wrote that song after Katie died." Sierra said.

"You miss her, don't you?"

Sierra nodded, wishing there was some way to bring Katie back.

Mimi and Sierra talked for a while longer before Sierra felt tired. Mimi wished Sierra a pleasant sleep and fell asleep.

Sierra did have a good dream – she was with Katie and they were on a trail ride. It was a beautiful summer afternoon and the girls started singing The Climb. At the end of the song, Katie was gone.

Sierra then cried herself to sleep, really missing her best friend._  
_


	7. Meeting Roger and Options for Hercules

CHAPTER SEVEN  
(chapter title – Meeting Roger and Options for Hercules)

Mimi and Sierra left the motel early the next morning. They were hoping to be in Montana by noon – that is, if they didn't run into any freak storms or any other Mother Nature happenings.

By 6:15 that evening, they pulled onto No Day But Today's property. Sierra took off her headphones so she could look around.

There was a large stone house near the back of the property. To the left, were two very large barns. To the right, there were four large oval-shaped pens.

Mimi stopped the van in front of the gate and hopped out of the van. Two men stood in front of one of the pens. They both had blond hair, wore plaid flannel shirts and wore cowboy hats on their heads – one had black and the other had cream.

"Mr. Davis?" Mimi called. Both men looked up, noticing the van for the first time.

"Yeah?" Both men called.

"Mr. Roger Davis." Mimi confirmed. The man wearing the black cowboy hat came over to her.

"What can I do you for?" Roger inquired, tipping his hat to Mimi.

"I'm Mimi Marquez – we spoke on the phone."

"Oh, yeah. Your the woman from New York. Look, lady, I told you on the phone that I might not able to help you or your horse."

"Can you at least take a look at him?" Mimi asked. By now, the other man and a woman with curly brown hair were watching them. She also heard children's voices off in the distance.

"Okay. Take your van to A Barn and I'll see what I can do." Roger told Mimi. Mimi nodded and got back in the truck, following Roger to A Barn.

Sierra saw a herd of cattle off in the distance, but they looked like brown specks of dust. Beyond the cattle, she saw a blue glimmering light, probably a swimming hole or lake.

"There. Park here." Roger commanded through the open window, startling Sierra out of her musings. She shook her head and saw her mom backing into the barn.

"Be careful – he's wild." Mimi warned as Roger and the other man opened the trailer doors. Just as Mimi predicted, Hercules cantered down the ramp of the trailer, snorting and whinnying. Other horses answered his whinnies.

"Whoa, big guy. Easy. No one's gonna hurt you." Roger spoke in a soothing voice, quickly grabbing the lead rope so that Hercules wouldn't trip over it. "What'd you say his name was?"

"Hercules' Promise." Sierra spoke up. Roger looked at the teenager and smiled.

"Is he your horse?" Roger asked. Sierra nodded. Roger stood outside the stall the other man got him in to.

"I know there's gonna be a lot of work with him, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to help out." Sierra answered. Roger looked at the girl and noticed her protestic leg. If this girl could live her life with half a leg, he was sure that there was something that she could do.

"Why don't you stay for dinner? Maureen's making dinner and she always makes way too much." Roger suggested to Mimi and Sierra.

"Who's Maureen?" Sierra inquired.

"My sister-in-law. I'll make introductions at the house." Roger told the two women, exiting the barn. Sierra and Mimi looked at each other before following Roger out of the barn and followed him to the stone house.

"DAAAAADDY!" a young girl's voice greeted Roger as he entered the house. Roger smiled, took off his hat and hugged a young girl. Roger then looked at Mimi and Sierra.

"Everyone, could you come here, please?" Roger called into the house. Everyone came rushing to the front room, including two kids who looked to be Sierra's age. "These are my friends, Mimi and Sierra. I'm going to be working with Sierra's horse, so they're gonna stay here while I work with him. How about everyone goes around and introduces themselves?"

"I'm Roger's brother, Mark." The other blond-haired man introduced himself.

"I'm Maureen, Mark's wife." The curly-haired woman introduced herself.

"I'm Taylor – Roger's son."

"I'm Marie – Roger's daughter."

"I'm June – Roger's daughter."

"I'm Dianna – Mark and Maureen's daughter."

"I'm Riley – Mark and Maureen's son."

"I'm Amanda – Mark and Maureen's daughter."

"It's nice to meet all of you." Mimi said, instantly helping Maureen in the kitchen.

Sierra was put in charge of helping with drinks. It was pretty easy – the younger kids wanted milk; the teens wanted water and the adults either had wine or beer.

"I hope you two stay for the round-up." Maureen told Sierra and Mimi, passing them a large bowl of mashed potatoes. Mimi took a couple scoops, whereas Sierra took two and a half scoops.

"Round-up? What's that?" Mimi inquired, taking a bite of potatoes. Sierra played and picked at her food.

"It's where we put the cattle from the smaller pasture to the larger pasture for the winter." Taylor explained. "Dad and Uncle Mark's friends, Joanne, Alison, Benny, Collins and Angel usually join us. It's a lot of fun."

"Do you participate in the round-up?" Mimi asked Taylor.

"Yes, ma'am. Been doing the round-up since I was old enough to ride a horse. In this family, it comes after learning to ride a bike." Taylor answered.

"Momma/Aunt Maureen, may we/I be excused?" June and Amanda asked Maureen.

"Yes, but first, carry your and whoever else is done's plate to the kitchen." Maureen told the girls. The girls did what they were told and disappeared.

"So, how does your horse look?" Dianna inquired.

"I think he looks horrible – he's turned nasty and bitter." Sierra told the other girl. The girls, along with Taylor, Roger and Mimi, were headed to the barn to check on some of the expecting mothers.

All the expectant mothers looked all right – two of the four expecting had delivered their foals that morning. The mares, riding horses and Hercules were in Barn A. In Barn B was the stallion Roger used for breeding, the yearlings and the foals once they were weaned.

Roger asked to see Sierra privately and led her to a stall of a strawberry-roan Quarter Horse.

"If you're gonna participate, you're gonna have to ride." Roger told Sierra. He then turned to the horse. "This is Strawberry, one of the nicest and easiest horses to ride here. Taylor's showing your mom Big Ben." Roger told Sierra.

"Mr. Davis, ever since falling off Hercules, I don't know about riding. I'm kind of scared of it, actually." Sierra admitted. Roger was brushing Strawberry out, but turned so that he was facing Sierra.

"When I was your age, Mark and I were on a cattle drive. My horse spooked and threw me. I thought that I would never ride again after that, but I forced myself to ride. I'm now one of the best riders out there." Roger told the girl.

"I don't recall meeting your wife. Is she working?" Sierra asked. Roger rested his hand on Strawberry's shoulder and faced the horse.

"She died seven years ago. She had cancer. It's hard for me to move on from that, but I'm trying – for the horses and for the kids, but mostly for the kids." Roger answered.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know." Sierra apologized.

"It's all right, Sierra." Roger assured Sierra, going to the tack room. He returned with a Western saddle, bridle and saddle pad. Sierra watched him as he tacked up Strawberry.

"Where are your helmets?" Sierra questioned.

"They're in the tack room. Would you like one?" Roger asked. Sierra nodded and held Strawberry's reins while Roger went to the tack room.

"Mew." A small voice meowed. Sierra looked down and saw a gray kitten rolling around on the dirt in front of Strawberry's stall. Strawberry didn't seem to mind this little visitor.

"Oh, hello." Sierra greeted the kitten. The kitten rubbed against her leg and meowed loudly.

"That's Stormy. She's Strawberry's friend." Roger said, tossing Sierra a helmet. Together, the three of them made their way to the arena that was behind Barn A.

"Hi Sierra!" Mimi greeted Sierra. She was aboard a tall Quarter Horse and was walking around the arena, Taylor was standing in the middle of the arena, smiling and giving Mimi instructions.

"Can you mount from the ground or do you need a boost?" Roger asked.

"Could I have a boost, please?" Sierra asked. Roger nodded and cupped his hands and Sierra knelt on his hands. He then boosted her onto Strawberry's back. "Wow! It's high!"

Roger smiled and checked Sierra's cinch and stirrups. He then patted Strawberry's neck and turned to Sierra.

"Put your extra reins in your left hand and with your right, make sure you can feel her mouth. Keep your legs where they are. All you have to do is relax and she'll handle the rest. Tell her to walk on." Roger instructed.

"Walk on, Strawberry." Sierra told the horse. Strawberry snorted and took a long stride forward, catching Sierra off-guard. Sierra instantly found her seat and got the large horse under control.

Sierra and Mimi rode for an hour. In that hour, Sierra felt happier than she had ever felt. She was on a horse again for the first time in a year and it felt great. With each stride, she could feel Strawberry's muscles moving under the saddle.

At the end of the lesson, it was decided that Sierra would ride Strawberry and Mimi would ride Big Ben.

"You two are staying in the guest house. Is that all right?" Roger asked. Mimi and Sierra nodded, following Roger to the guest house. It was located next to the main house and Roger told them that if they needed or wanted anything, the main house was always open.

Mimi and Sierra thanked Roger for his hospitality. Roger smiled at the girls and left them to get settled. They knew that they had a long haul in front of them and it wasn't going to be easy.


	8. Training Hercules & New Responsibilities

CHAPTER EIGHT  
(chapter title – Training Hercules and New Responsibilities)

The following afternoon, Roger worked with Hercules. Sierra was sitting nearby, reading. She saw Taylor enter the arena and motioned for her to come over. Sierra put in her bookmark and carried her book over.

"Whoa, easy big guy." Roger soothed the horse. In one hand, he held his cowboy hat and in the other hand, he held a coiled rope in the other. Hercules snorted, ears still pinned against his beautiful head. Now that he was out in the open, Sierra could see the bandages were dirty and blood-stained. His beautiful coat was dull from lack of brushing. His mane and tail were a tangled mess, just like the rest of him.

Sierra also noted his forelock – it was long and uncombed, making it hard for Hercules to see. Of course, who would want to get near him when he's so dangerous?

"How's he doing?" Sierra asked, leaning against the rail, but backed away when Hercules galloped by.

"I can't really work with him when he's acting like this." Roger answered, moving towards Hercules. He neighed and trotted to the other end of the training oval.

Towards lunchtime, Roger had made little progress with Hercules. It was quiet as Roger, Mimi, Mark, Maureen, Sierra, Taylor and Dianna had lunch.

"Where are Marie, June, Riley and Amanda?" Sierra inquired, taking a bite of her hamburger. She could feel the juice run down her chin.

"They're at school." Taylor answered.

"Why aren't you two in school?" Mimi questioned.

"The high school gets out a week earlier than the elementary school." Dianna said.

The rest of lunch was spent in silence, which was okay with everyone.

"Sierra, I have to call into work, so I'll be in the guest house if you need anything." Mimi told Sierra. Sierra nodded and went to Barn A to get started on the chores Roger assigned her.

Taylor was in the barn waiting for Sierra. Roger was working some more with Hercules and thought that Sierra being there, it distracted the horse.

"Hey." Taylor greeted Sierra as she entered the dimly lit barn.

"Hey." Sierra echoed.

"Here's the chores that dad wants you to do." Taylor said, handing Sierra a list.

"And he sent you here to watch me, is that right?" Sierra wanted to know.

"I'm just doing what he told me to do." Taylor told Sierra.

Sierra sighed and went to work – she wasn't going to argue with Taylor.

There were four things on her list:

- Muck out all stalls

- Polish all tack

- Brush all horses

- Rake the aisle way

"Piece of cake." Sierra muttered to herself. She then put on some music and went to work, Taylor watching her like a hawk.

She was brushing the last horse when Roger entered the barn, looking tired.

"How's Hercules coming along?" Sierra asked, a little hope in her voice.

"Slowly, but I think we're getting somewhere." Roger answered, walking over to Taylor. "Looks like you got all your chores done."

Sierra nodded and patted the horse on the neck. Roger smiled and exited the barn.

"If you help me feed them, it'll go by faster." Taylor said. Sierra nodded. She fed half the horses and Taylor fed the other half. It took them forty-five minutes to feed all the horses.

They walked up to the house just as the four youngest kids joined them.

"Storm's coming." Marie told the teenagers. Sierra turned to Taylor.

"What does that mean?" Sierra wanted to know.

"Rainstorm – most of the horses are scared by it, but most of them hardly notice it. It usually lasts between an hour to three days." Taylor explained.

"Will your dad work with Hercules during that time?" Sierra asked as the six of them entered the house.

"Probably not, so after dinner, dad, uncle Mark, aunt Maureen, you and I will help get him in the barn. He can just be in the barn – dad won't mind." Taylor said.

"Dad won't mind what?" Roger asked, throwing on a rain slicker. Mark and Maureen were right behind him, also in rain slickers.

"That Hercules has the barn to himself and doesn't have to stay in his stall." Taylor told his dad. Roger shook his head.

"You know how dangerous that is. I would feel safer if he was in a stall." Roger said as they ran towards the training oval. Sierra looked up into the sky – it was black and ominous. The storm was coming fast and furious.

Inside the barn, the horses were going nuts, including the new mothers and their babies. It was Taylor and Sierra's job to keep the horses calm while the adults went to get Hercules.

Sierra was the first to hear the thunder and see the lightening. Rain danced on the tin roof like marbles being poured out of a bag.

"OPEN THE DOOR!" Roger yelled over the rain. Sierra and Taylor slid the heavy barn doors open as Hercules galloped inside. Once everyone was inside the barn, Taylor and Sierra slid the barn doors closed.

Hercules ran up and down the aisle, whinnying loudly. Other horses in the barn answered him.

"Whoa, Herc. It's okay buddy." Maureen soothed as she took a lead rope and clipped it to the lead ring on Hercules' halter. Hercules dragged Maureen to a stall, but Maureen held tight.

It was then that the power went out.

"Just peachy." Roger said, his tone rather sarcastic.

"Now what are we supposed to do?" Sierra questioned.

"Come with me and we'll find the fuse box." Taylor told Sierra.

"Maureen and I will go to the house to wait for the kids." Mark announced. With that, he exited the barn, hoping that Maureen was following him.

Roger stayed with the horses while Taylor and Sierra went to the fuse box.

They ran to the back of Barn B where the fuse box was located. Sierra held the flashlight for Taylor while he punched buttons and clicked levers.

The stallion that Roger used for breeding, Apollo, nickered to Sierra as she passed by his stall. Usually, stallions were vicious creatures, but Apollo was the sweetest stallion that Sierra knew. Taylor had told her that it was because Roger had a gentle touch with the horses, especially Apollo.

She and Taylor exited the barn and sprinted back to Barn A. The lights had come back on, which everyone was happy about.

"How are the moms and babies?" Sierra asked. Roger smiled at her and walked over.

"They seem to be doing all right. Why don't we go to the house and you kids can help with dinner." Roger said. The teenagers nodded and went back to the house.

By the time that Sierra and Mimi went to bed, the rain had eased up. It no longer sounded like marbles being poured out of a bag. Now the rain sounded like someone tap dancing on the roof.

Sierra had a good night's sleep – rain usually soothed her. She could hear her mother in the other bedroom – she was talking in her sleep, again.

The following morning, the adults were gathered at the table. Taylor was down at the barn and Dianna was with friends. The younger kids were still in school, but they only had a couple of days left.

"Everything okay?" Sierra inquired as she got herself some breakfast.

"Yeah. We were thinking about going to a movie. Are you up for baby-sitting tonight?" Maureen asked.

"Sure. I love kids. Dianna and Taylor would be helping, right?" Sierra wanted to know.

"Of course they would." Mark piped up.

"When would you guys be going to the movie?" Sierra questioned.

"Tonight. We're going to see Five-Year Engagement." Roger spoke up.

"Have fun." Sierra said, quickly eating her cereal and going to the barn to hang out with Taylor.

That night, Taylor, Dianna and Sierra were gathered in the living room. The younger kids were doing last minute chores or homework.

"Phone numbers are on the fridge. Don't let them stay up too late – bedtime is 7:00, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Make sure they take a bath or shower. Dinner should be something other than pizza. When the kids go to bed, you three can order one. Have fun all seven of you." Maureen told the teenagers as Mark yanked her out the door.

Sierra looked at the other teens – this was going to be a piece of cake with the three of them.


	9. Babysitting the Younger Kids & The Round

CHAPTER NINE  
(chapter title – Babysitting the Younger Kids & The Round Up)

"YES! I BEAT YOU AGAIN!" Riley exclaimed. Sierra put her hands on her knees. She, Riley, Taylor and Amanda were playing Just Dance 2. They had just danced to the song 'Tik Tok' by Ke$ha.

Dianna, June and Marie were playing Barbies. Sierra looked at Dianna and smiled – she was so good with the girls.

It was time to send the kids to bed. Once they were down for the count, Taylor, Dianna and Sierra ordered a large cheese pizza and watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

"What time did Maureen say they would be home?" Sierra questioned.

"She didn't say, so why does it matter?" Taylor inquired.

Sierra shrugged her shoulders and continued watching the movie. She was glad that Taylor and Dianna were into Harry Potter like she was.

"If you guys could date any Harry Potter character – NOT actor – who would it be?" Dianna asked, helping herself to another slice of cheese pizza.

"Either Hermione Granger or Luna Lovegood." Taylor answered.

"Neville Longbottom or Remus Lupin." Sierra replied.

"I would date either Fred or George Weasley." Dianna responded.

The three of them talked a little more about Harry Potter before they heard the door open and saw the four adults enter the house.

"Hey. How was the movie?" Sierra asked as she, Taylor and Dianna cleaned up the kitchen.

"It was good. I could hear Roger laughing a couple times, which is good for him." Mark said.

"So, what do I wear for a round up?" Mimi inquired.

"Jeans, a shirt you don't mind getting dirty, cowboy boots, chaps and a cowboy hat." Roger answered, yawning slightly. Maureen looked at the clock – it was almost eleven.

"How were the kids?" Maureen asked the teens.

"They were great." Sierra responded. The other two nodded in agreement.

Sierra bid goodnight to her friends as she followed Mimi to the guest house. She was excited about the following day – she would be participating in her first round up.

She laid in bed, wondering what Roger and Mark's friends were like. Were they nice or were they stuck-up? Only tomorrow would tell.

At 5:45 the next morning, there was a loud knocking on the guest house door. Sierra rolled over in bed and went to answer the door. Standing before her were Roger and Taylor. Sierra turned on the light and told the guys to come inside.

"Mom and I will be ready in about ten minutes." Sierra announced from the bathroom. She was quickly throwing on a pair of jeans and a red, white and blue plaid T-shirt. She then put on a pair of cowboy boots that Dianna had outgrown and given to her. They were a little big, but Sierra didn't care.

The four of them then headed to the house to get some breakfast before starting on the cattle drive. Roger had corrected Mimi while they were at the movie last night that they weren't going on a round-up, they were going on a cattle drive.

Maureen was in the kitchen making sandwiches for the adults and teens. She made peanut butter & jelly for the teens and tuna for the adults. Maureen and the four youngest kids weren't going on the cattle drive. They would stay behind and check on the horses, especially Hercules.

An hour later, Roger, Sierra, Mimi, Taylor, Mark and Dianna were in the barn when two pick-up trucks pulled into the ranch and stopped outside the barn. Two African-American men, an African-American woman, a Hispanic woman and a white woman came over, all smiles.

"Collins! Benny! Joanne! Angel! Alison! You all made it!" Roger called to his friends. Mimi and Sierra exchanged confused looks as Roger hugged the strangers. Taylor and Dianna went over and hugged the strangers.

"Everyone, this is Mimi and her daughter, Sierra. Mimi and Sierra, this is Joanne, Collins, Benny, Angel and Alison. They've been friends of the family for as long as I can remember." Roger said.

"It's nice to meet you all." Mimi told the group, brushing Big Ben.

"Rog, is it okay if we bring the horses in?" Benny asked. Roger nodded and went to help his friends.

"Dad, do you want me to tack up Sweet Pea for you?" Taylor asked.

"Sure. Is Love Bug ready?" Roger inquired, bringing in a big brown and white paint. Roger put the paint towards the back of the barn, clipping cross-ties to either side of its halter. Behind Roger, Collins brought in a bay Quarter Horse, clipping it in cross-ties behind the paint.

It went on like that for ten minutes. There were five horses and five riders. Everyone was busy – brushing horses, tacking horses up, getting saddlebags and checking every last inch of their horses for cuts or scrapes.

It was at 6:15 AM and everyone was tired, but they quickly mounted their horses and headed out on a dirt trail.

Roger stopped his horse – a beautiful dark gray mare named Sweet Pea – and turned to face the group. Sierra sat tall in the saddle, feeling excited about her first cattle drive.

"Benny, since you and Fame N Fortune have done this before, why don't you get behind the cattle. Joanne and Rags 2 Riches will be in front. Dianna, Mark, Collins and Alison will be on the right. Taylor, Mimi, Sierra, Angel and I will be on the left." Roger told the others. They nodded and went to their positions.

As Taylor passed by her, Sierra caught his eye and smiled at him. To her luck, Taylor smiled back.

The two of them rode side-by-side. Strawberry and Taylor's horse – a flea-bitten gray mare named Love Bug – seemed to get along.

"So, do you have a boyfriend?" Taylor asked. Sierra looked at him, totally confused.

"Some way to start a conversation, don't you think?" Sierra questioned.

"Well, do you or don't you?"

"I don't. Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No, I don't. Willyoubemine?"

Sierra stared at Taylor with utter confusion.

"Will you be my girlfriend?" Taylor asked, reaching over and took Sierra's hand in his. Sierra felt her heart melt like butter as she nodded her head. Taylor flashed her a smile and heeled Love Bug into a jog, Sierra right behind them.

At noon, the group stopped for lunch and to rest their bottoms. Sierra and Taylor sat together at lunch, along with Mimi and Roger. Ever since they arrived on the ranch, Roger had slowly found himself falling in love with Mimi. The only other time he had felt this way was when his wife, Lucy, was alive.

Watching Taylor and Sierra together reminded Roger of his and Lucy's love. It made him smile to see these teenagers so in love.

They finished lunch and mounted their horses. Roger loped up to Joanne to see how she was doing. She patted her horse's neck and turned to Roger.

"I think Rags 2 Riches is doing great. Aren't you, buddy?" Joanne asked her horse. Rags 2 Riches bobbed his head in agreement. Roger smiled and jogged back to his spot.

"Roger! We have a situation!" Mark called. Roger turned Sweet Pea around and jogged over. They had just crossed a stream and now it was Benny's turn. Benny's horse, Fame N Fortune, had a fear of water.

"Benny, here, let me get him across. You take Sweet Pea's reins." Roger suggested, dismounting Sweet Pea. The others kept moving so that the cattle wouldn't spook – that would be an awful mess to clean up.

Roger took Fame N Fortune's reins in both hands and walked the horse across the stream on foot. Roger talked quietly to the horse, letting him know that everything was okay. Fame N Fortune reared straight up in the air.

"Easy, you're okay. Come on, now." Roger soothed, clicking his tongue and forcing the horse to cross the stream. Rags was five-years-old and was the youngest horse on the drive. The oldest was Sweet Pea – she was 26-years-old, but still acted like an imp.

Forty-five minutes later, Roger had successfully gotten the young horse across the stream. He mounted Rags and heeled him into a gallop, hoping to catch up with the other horses.

Mark turned in his saddle when he heard galloping hooves. He pulled out his binoculars from his saddle bag and looked through the lenses. He saw Roger galloping towards them at full speed.

Several of the cattle mood nervously as Roger drew closer. Mark spoke quietly to them as Roger caught up to them. Rags' stormy gray coat was now almost dark gray – he had been sweating profusely.

"Benny, you ride Sweet Pea for the rest of the drive." Roger told Benny. He turned around in Sweet Pea's saddle.

"You sure? Was he any trouble for you?" Benny inquired.

"Just a little, but now he doesn't have a fear of water. I think he overcame that fear." Roger said, patting the sweating horse on the neck. Roger then pulled out a large water bottle from his saddle bag and held it to Rags' lips. The horse gulped down half the water bottle. Roger smiled and screwed the lid back on, put it back in his saddle bag and mounted up.

There were no more instances like that for the rest of the drive.

Sierra, however, felt a sharp pain in her leg, right where her protestic leg started. She signaled for everyone to stop, but they couldn't – except Taylor. He stayed right with her, promising the others that they would catch up soon.

"You're not gonna wait for them?" Mimi asked, her tone frustrated.

"We have to keep moving if we're gonna make it to the big pasture before dark. That's when the coyotes and other predators come out. Taylor knows the way, so I'm sure they'll catch up soon." Roger assured Mimi.

Meanwhile, Sierra has moved to a private area.

"No peeking!" Sierra warned, leaning against a tree so that she could remove her jeans and look at her leg.

"What if I help and not look?" Taylor asked, ground tying the horses to a tree stump.

"Fine, but if I catch you looking, you're going to be in deep trouble."

"Oh, I'm so scared."

"You're immature, you know that, right?"

"I'm a guy – we're born to be immature."

Sierra rolled her eyes and unzipped her jeans, carefully removing her right leg. She moaned in pain as she examined her leg.

"Have you removed your leg at all?" Taylor asked, staring at the tree.

"I can't get it wet, so only when I take a shower." Sierra answered, carefully removing her leg. There was a sickening pop that made both Sierra and Taylor wince.

"I'll be right back – don't go anywhere." Taylor told Sierra.

"It's not like I have a choice." Sierra snapped, not wanting any sarcasm right now.

Taylor returned with the large water bottle. He gently poured some water on her stump and on the end of the leg. Sierra let out a sigh of relief. She looked into Taylor's green eyes as he leaned down for a kiss. Taylor returned the kiss, being ever so gentle with her.

It took five minutes to get Sierra back on Strawberry and it took the teens ten minutes to find the group. The sun was half-way on the horizon, which meant that they didn't have much time.

Luckily, they caught up with the others just as Roger closed the door on the large pasture. The pasture was surrounded by an electric fence and the fence was on 24/7, no matter what. A short distance away was the generator that kept the fence on.

The group made it home just before dark. Mimi and Sierra hugged the others and watch them head home. Sierra, Mimi, Taylor, Roger, Dianna and Mark offered to cool down and feed the others' horses.

As Sierra brushed out Eagle Drum, Angel's horse, she was forever grateful for Taylor and his kindness.


	10. He Could Be The One and Barnyard Dance

**A/N: Just wanted to let everyone know that there are only SEVEN more chapters until this story is finished. Thanks to all who have r/r so far! You guys (or girls) rock!**

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CHAPTER TEN  
(chapter title – He Could Be The One & Barnyard Dance)

Sierra sighed and watch Taylor bathe Love Bug. She was sitting on the porch of the guest house. He was a short distance away, hosing down the horses, shirtless. Sierra strummed her guitar and wrote down lyrics to a song she was working on. It was hot out, according to Roger, it was close to 98 degrees.

Mimi, Roger, Maureen and Mark, along with the four youngest kids, were down at the swimming hole, having fun. Dianna was at a movie with friends, leaving Taylor and Sierra to do what they wanted.

"Hey. Why don't you come join me?" Taylor suggested, leading Love Bug right up to the screened-in porch of the guest house.

"Can't you see I'm busy?" Sierra asked, humming some words as she wrote them down.

"Dad's making progress with Hercules, just thought you ought to know." Taylor told Sierra. That got her attention.

"That's amazing!" Sierra squealed, setting her guitar down and exited the guest house. Taylor put Love Bug back in her stall and took Sierra's hand in his. Ever since Taylor asked Sierra to be his girlfriend, both of them wanted to spend each lasting moment with each other. Dianna had a boyfriend, so the four of them planned on double-dating sometime.

Taylor guided Sierra to his room and had her sit on his unmade bed. Sierra closed her eyes as Taylor kissed her neck, kissing every inch of her.

"Should we close your door?" Sierra asked as Taylor laid her down and got on top of her.

"No. Ever since I told my dad I was dating you, he wants me to leave my door open." Taylor explained, his hands sneaking up Sierra's shirt. He carefully lifted it off her head, kissing her chest. Sierra discarded her bra as Taylor drew her close to him. They had agreed to go slow, which Taylor was respecting. They had also agreed when they made out, that they would go from the waist up. Sierra wasn't ready for the next step yet and Taylor wasn't either.

"Taylor, can I ask you something?" Sierra asked once the two of them ended out their make out session.

"Sure."

"Do you think I'm pretty?" Sierra asked. Taylor tilted her chin up and looked into her eyes.

"I think you're drop dead beautiful." He answered. Sierra felt herself blush. "Can I get you anything?"

"Some of your aunt Maureen's strawberry lemonade would be great." Sierra told him, following him out of his room and to the kitchen.

"That sounds good. I'll join you on that." Taylor told Sierra, kissing her temple.

The two of them helped themselves to a glass of lemonade and a lemon cookie. They then headed back to Taylor's room to watch a movie and hang out.

Sierra ended up leaving a little early, claiming that she wasn't feeling well, which she wasn't. Taylor kissed her hand and told her to have a quick recovery.

The following day, Sierra spent the entire day in front of the toilet. Mimi did what she could for her daughter, but she was on call, so she couldn't spend much time with Sierra.

She did have visitors during the day, ranging from Roger to June. June made Sierra a get-well card, which Sierra appreciated.

Sierra was resting when she felt someone sit down on the bed next to her, taking her hand and gently squeezed it. She opened an eye and saw Taylor sitting beside her.

"Hey." Sierra croaked.

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

"Like crap."

"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do or get you?"

Sierra shook her head and coughed. Taylor went to get Sierra some water and brought it back to her. He sat behind her, helping Sierra swallow the water.

Taylor ended up staying with Sierra that night, since Mimi and Roger were on another date. It was their fifth one that week.

Sierra rested her head on Taylor's shoulder as they watched a movie on TV. Taylor ran a hand through Sierra's hair as they watched the movie.

"I'm gonna take a shower, okay?" Sierra announced, getting the supplies she needed from her duffel bag and limped for the bathroom.

"Do you need any help?" Taylor asked. Sierra shook her head as she turned on the shower. The movie was over, so Taylor turned off the TV and picked up the book on Sierra's bed.

"No, but thanks for asking." Sierra called, poking her head out the bathroom door.

He stopped reading when he heard her singing beautifully. He recognized her singing I'm Yours by Jason Mraz.

Sierra got out of her shower and made her way over to Taylor. He smiled at her and held her in his arms.

"You feeling any better?" Taylor asked. Sierra nodded and got under the covers, Taylor right next to her. "How come you never told me that you had a beautiful singing voice?"

"It's not that great." Sierra said.

"I can see you selling a thousand CDs if you would put yourself out there." Taylor told her, his lips gently caressing her skin.

"I also play guitar. Would you mind if I played a song for you? I actually wrote it for you." Sierra told Taylor, getting out of bed and limped over to her guitar. She got it out of its case and tuned it. "This is Lola, she's been there for me for as long as I can remember."

"You wrote a song for me? You didn't have to." Taylor told Sierra, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Yes, I did want to. Now, shut up and listen. It's called He Could Be The One." Sierra told Taylor as she tuned her guitar.

As Sierra sang the song to him, Taylor could tell she poured a lot of passion and time into this song. He felt himself smile throughout the song.

When the song was finished, Taylor applauded loudly. Sierra blushed and put her guitar away.

"I love it. Thanks, Sierra." Taylor thanked Sierra.

"You're welcome, Taylor." Sierra told him, placing a kiss on his cheek.

The two of them talked for a while longer before Taylor had to go – he had a rodeo competition in the morning. He would be taking Love Bug and would be gone all day.

"I love you." Sierra blurted, covering her mouth with her hand.

"I love you, too, Sierra. You're the best thing that ever happened to me." Taylor told her, kissing her cheek.

That night, Sierra had a hard time sleeping. She kept tossing and turning, her body temperature ranging from very hot to freezing.

"No, Taylor! Don't do it! Don't go! Please don't go! NOOOOOOOOO!" Sierra screamed, sitting up in bed, sweat pouring down her face.

Mimi, who's room was on the other side of the guest house, sprang out of bed when she heard her daughter's cries.

"Sierra, shh. It's all right. Baby, I'm right here. What happened?" Mimi soothed, rubbing Sierra's back.

"I had a horrible nightmare that Taylor died during his competition. I was begging him not to go, but he didn't listen to me." Sierra explained, still in tears.

"Oh, baby. I'm so sorry. It's okay." Mimi soothed, rocking Sierra like a child. As she rocked Sierra, Mimi sang a Spanish lullaby, knowing that it would soothe Sierra.

A couple minutes later, Sierra was out like a light, but Mimi stayed right by her, just in case Sierra needed her again.

Early the following morning, Sierra got up and headed to the barn. She saw Taylor standing outside of Love Bug's stall. Love Bug was in a set of cross-ties and Taylor was brushing her.

"Hey. I just wanted to come by early and wish you luck today." Sierra told her beloved.

"Thanks. Oh, before I forget, there's a dance coming up – it's actually in a week – and I was wondering if you wanted to go with me." Taylor said, moving to Love Bug's left back leg so that he could clean out her hoof.

"You mean, like a date?" Sierra squealed.

"Yes, like a date. So, what do you say?"

"Sounds like fun." Sierra said, kissing Taylor's lips. He gently dropped Love Bug's leg so that he could return Sierra's kiss. He wrapped his arms around her petit frame, holding her close to him.

"I'll be thinking about you all day." Taylor told Sierra as he broke away from her. Mark was ready to go – he was competing in the adult competition and would be taking Smokey – his Quarter Horse gelding. Gunny, Mark's regular horse, was lame, so Mark would be taking Smokey this time.

"Good luck to both of you!" Sierra called as she watched the trailer zoom down the driveway. She drew her blanket closer around her and headed to the main house.

As she entered the kitchen, she could hear Maureen, Roger, Dianna, Riley, Amanda, June, Marie and Mimi singing Sugar Pie Honey Bunch as they made breakfast.

"What are all of you doing up? Oh, I forgot – we live on a ranch where everyone is up before the butt-crack of dawn." Sierra said.

The younger kids laughed while the adults shot Sierra a dirty look. Dianna giggled behind her hand.

After breakfast, Sierra was bored the rest of the day. She wrote some, read some, watched Roger work with Hercules a bit, wrote half a song before she got writer's block. She even played some Wii with the kids, but got bored after half an hour.

"Why don't you come to the mall with me? We can find dresses for the dance." Dianna suggested to Sierra. She then turned to Maureen. "Momma, would that be all right?"

"I don't see why not. Make sure to take your phone and your purse and anything else you might need." Maureen called after the girls. They already had their phones and purses – that was all they needed.

They arrived at the mall 20 minutes later. Sierra hated the mall and avoided it like the plague. Dianna smiled at her and walked towards the entrance, Sierra following right behind her.

Dianna seemed to know where she was going, so Sierra willingly followed her. Hopefully, the shopping wouldn't take too long and Sierra could watch some of the Olympics on TV.

"So, what kind of dress are you looking for?" Dianna asked as she dragged Sierra into Dress Barn. They instantly went for the back of the store – it's where the cheap knock-offs were and according to Dianna, were just as pretty as the originals.

Sierra fell in love with the first dress she tried on. It was a checkered periwinkle blue knee-length sleeveless dress. Around the hem and neckline was a pattern of white lace.

Dianna bought the fourth dress she tried on – also a sleeveless dress, but hers was a light green with quarter-length sleeves and the hemline ended just below Dianna's knees.

They also bought accessories to go with their dresses. Sierra found a necklace with a silver horse-head charm and earrings that matched her dress. With the earrings came a matching bracelet.

Dianna also got a bracelet and earrings that matched her dress. The necklace she chose, however, looked beautiful on her. The chain was silver with an intricate pattern of light, lime, dark and light green beads that formed a heart.

The girls paid for their purchases and went to get lunch at the food court. Sierra went to get a baked sub at Charlie's while Dianna went to get Chinese food at Yin & Yang's.

"So, Sierra, what's life back in New York?" Dianna asked.

"Busy and crazy. Everywhere you go, people cover the streets and sidewalks. The summers are super hot, so I stay indoors. Winters are freezing. Spring and fall are beautiful – the weather is so wonderful during that time." Sierra answered.

"When and where do you ride?" Dianna questioned.

"I ride in Central Park, well I used to until we moved toward the country. I now ride at Parker's School of Horsemanship." Sierra answered, taking a bite of her turkey sub.

It was silent after that. Sierra was curious to learn about Dianna, too. She also wanted to learn more about Roger's first wife, Lucy.

"What was your aunt Lucy like?" Sierra wanted to know.

"You would've loved her. She was sweet, kind, gentle, loving, funny, awesome and loved her family very much."

"What did she do for a living?"

"She was a doctor. Kind of ironic, isn't it? She's a doctor and she doesn't know she has cancer."

"What kind of cancer did she die from?"

"Lymphoma."

Sierra's stomach dropped. She had lost a beloved childhood dog to lymphoma and had also lost a good friend to the deadly cancer, too.

"When I was seven, I had a good friend – Lilly. She, Katie and I would play every day after school. Suddenly, Lilly got really sick and stopped coming to school. My mom ran into Lilly's mom at a school event and Lilly's mom said that Lilly died from lymphoma. It was really hard on Katie and I because we had lost one of our best friends." Sierra rambled.

Dianna reached across the table and took one of Sierra's hands in hers.

"I'm so sorry to hear that." Dianna said. Sierra smiled and threw both her and Dianna's trays away.

By the time the girls arrived home, it was a little after 3:00, the perfect time for Roger to work with Hercules. It was perfect because it was usually cooler by 3:00 – Roger didn't like working his horses in the heat. They were making beautiful progress – Hercules now allowed Roger to touch him from his neck to his hindquarters. Roger had also started brushing and changing Hercules' bandages.

Sierra noted how Hercules' behavior had changed. He was no longer a vicious monster, but he wasn't a cuddly little kitten either.

"Good boy, Hercules. There ya go." Roger soothed the horse. Sierra leaned against the rail, her eyes forward. Dianna had offered to take their purchases inside. Sierra saw that Hercules had his head on Roger's shoulder, a sign of trust between horse and owner.

Roger then walked a few feet away from the horse. Hercules did a complete 360 and followed Roger around the arena. Sierra couldn't believe what she was seeing. She felt tears in her eyes as she watched Roger and Hercules walk around the arena, Hercules three strides behind Roger.

Sierra went inside and sat at the kitchen table. Maureen smiled and poured her a glass of water. Sierra gulped it down in four gulps and placed her glass on the table.

"You okay, sweetie?" Maureen asked.

"I'm just worried about Taylor, that's all." Sierra admitted.

"Well, I have good news – I just spoke to Mark and he said that Taylor did wonderfully in the competition. He got four firsts and a second. The boys should be heading home soon." Maureen told Sierra.

"That's awesome! I can't wait to see-" Sierra was cut off by her cell phone going off. She looked down at the screen and saw a text message from Taylor.

_On my way – cant wait to see you! Hope u had a gr8 day!_

_-T_

Sierra squealed and texted him back.

_Can't wait to see you, either. Maureen said u did wonderfully in ur classes! Can't wait to hear all about it!_

_-S_

It was towards 10:30 at night when the two-horse trailer rolled onto the ranch. Sierra had been reading on the porch, but quickly got to her feet when she saw the trailer.

"TAYLOR! YOU'RE HOME!" Sierra squealed, running towards her true love. Taylor smiled and ran towards Sierra. They met in the middle and Taylor picked Sierra up, swinging her around him as if he had been gone for a year instead of just a day.

"I told you I would be back." Taylor whispered in Sierra's ear, kissing her jawline.

"Okay, okay, lovebirds. Can you two help me get the horses out of the trailer and put things away instead of sucking each other's faces off?" Mark asked.

The three of them worked together to get everything put away. Mark offered to muck out the trailer if Taylor and Sierra wanted to catch up.

Sierra and Taylor sat on the porch swing outside the main house, looking up into the beautiful night sky. It was dotted with stars, something Sierra wouldn't be able to see in the city.

"Wow. I haven't seen stars like this in a long time." Sierra said, resting her head on Taylor's shoulder. Taylor kissed her cheek and held her in his arms.

The screen door opened and Mark, Maureen, Roger, Mimi, Dianna, June, Marie, Riley and Amanda came out onto the porch. Even Minnie – June's Husky/Wolf puppy joined in on the fun.

"Great. There goes the romantic evening I had planned." Taylor joked as Roger and Mimi sat next to them on the porch swing.

"You know, Roger, Sierra plays guitar like you do." Mark told his brother, taking a sip of his beer.

All of them sat on the porch for a while longer before Roger, Maureen and Mark got the younger kids inside. Mimi and Sierra went to the guest house to get some sleep. Taylor, Roger and Dianna went to their respected rooms to get some sleep.

A week later was the barnyard dance. Taylor looked at himself in the mirror in his room for the hundredth time. He had changed his shirt and hat twice, not liking the style or color of each.

"Taylor Jacob Davis! Hurry your butt downstairs! There's a young lady here named Sierra who says she's looking for you!" Maureen called up the stairs. Taylor rolled his eyes, picked a light blue T-shirt and a black cowboy hat before heading down the stairs and felt his heart stop.

Standing before him was an angel. She wore her hair in a ponytail with the end curled. She wore a dress of periwinkle blue and wore cowboy boots on her feet. Around her neck, she wore a necklace with a horse head charm. In her ears she wore periwinkle blue earrings and around her right wrist, she wore a periwinkle blue bracelet.

"You look-" Taylor struggled for the right words, but finally settled on, "stunning."

Maureen, Mimi and Roger took picture after picture of Taylor and Sierra. Dianna and her date, Michael, would be meeting them at the dance.

"Have fun kids!" Maureen called after them.

It wasn't far to the dance, so the two of them decided to walk. Taylor didn't let go of Sierra's hand for a moment – he wanted her with him forever and always.

When they entered the dance hall, the dance floor was packed and the tables surrounding the dance floor were empty. Sierra spotted Dianna and dragged Taylor towards her.

Sierra ended up having a lot of fun. She danced to the Cha Cha Slide, Hoedown Throwdown, some Lady Gaga, but it was mostly country songs that were playing.

Dianna and Sierra were sitting out a dance when a girl with reddish-blond hair wearing a pink dress with quarter-length sleeves strutted over to them. Taylor removed himself from the dance floor and went over to the table he, Michael, Sierra and Dianna were sharing.

"Who the hell is she, Taylor?" the newcomer asked. Sierra looked up at the girl – she was pretty – had hazel eyes, reddish-blond hair and angel-like features.

"She's my new girlfriend, Jen." Taylor growled. "What the hell are you doing here, anyway?"

"I'm here to have fun and to win you back." Jen told Taylor. Taylor shook his head.

"If you think I'm taking you back, you're wrong." Taylor told her.

"You know I'm much better for you than she is." Jen told Taylor, running her fingers through his hair. Taylor backed off and took Sierra's hand in his – a slow dance had come on and the two of them found a spot on the dance floor. Sierra had been practicing her dancing all that morning and wanted to impress Taylor.

Halfway into the song, Sierra rested her head on Taylor's shoulder and felt him bring her in closer to him. She looked into his eyes and felt him place a kiss on her forehead.

It was after the dance. Taylor, Dianna and Sierra headed back to the ranch. Sierra was carrying her boots because her feet were aching. She held Taylor's hand in the other, laughing and walking with him. Dianna and Michael had gotten into a fight, so it hurt her to see these two lovey-dovey.

"Would you two please stop!" Dianna snapped. Taylor shot his cousin a confused look.

"Dianna, are you all right?" Sierra asked her friend.

"No, I'm not all right! Michael and I got into a fight at the dance and it makes me sick to see you two being all lovey-dovey!" Dianna shouted, running the rest of the way to the ranch.

Sierra and Taylor ran after their friend as fast as they could. Sierra stumbled, but caught herself. She didn't realize she had hurt Dianna's feelings and promised to be more sensitive whenever Dianna was around.


	11. Reassuring Words & Hanging Out With Dian

**ONLY FIVE MOR CHAPTERS UNTIL THIS STORY IS FINISHED!**

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CHAPTER ELEVEN  
(chapter title – Reassuring Words & Hanging Out With Dianna)

The following afternoon, whenever Taylor and Sierra saw Dianna, they avoided any physical contact with each other.

It wasn't until later that afternoon that Sierra saw Jen come up the driveway. She was riding an expensive-looking Quarter Horse and wore expensive-looking clothes.

"Can I help you with something, Jen?" Roger asked as he led Hercules into the pen and closed the door behind him.

"Yeah. I was looking for Taylor. Have you seen him anywhere?" Jen asked, getting off her horse and handed the reins to Sierra. "Put him in a stall and untack him."

"You know, I'm not a groom here, right?" Sierra reminded the other girl. Jen rolled her eyes and pushed past Sierra, going to find Taylor herself.

"Here, Sierra. I'll take care of him." Mark offered, taking the horse's reins from her and led it to Barn A.

Sierra promised herself she would not let this girl get to her.

"Taylor, can I talk to you?" Sierra asked once she found Taylor. He was in Barn B with a large black horse in cross-ties. He was brushing it and examining it closely.

"Sure. What's up?" Taylor asked, not taking his eyes off the horse. The horse nudged Sierra with its nose and Sierra stroked its velvety muzzle.

"Do you still have feelings for Jen?" Sierra blurted – that was not the topic she came to talk to Taylor about.

"No, I don't. I broke up with her because she's always putting people down and I didn't like the way she treats people." Taylor answered, looking at Sierra for the first time since she entered the barn.

"Then why is she here?" Sierra wanted to know.

"Honestly, I have no idea. I told her to stay away from me after we broke up." Taylor told Sierra.

"I really don't like the way she's hanging out here." Sierra said, watching Jen enter the barn as if she owned the place.

"Jen, I would really like it if you would stop hanging around here." Taylor told his ex. She rolled her eyes and saw Sierra with the large horse.

"Are you sure she's good with the horses? She looks like a scrawny little groom to me." Jen giggled. That did it for Sierra.

"Look, Ms. Fancy-Pants, it's simple, if you don't like something, you can leave or ignore it." Sierra told the other girl. "I also don't like you hanging around Taylor all the time. HE IS MY BOYFRIEND, so stop pretending you two are back together!"

"Sierra, can I talk to you for a minute? Jen, you put Hawkeye away." Taylor told the girls. He then led Sierra to a quiet part of the barn and stood in front of her.

"Am I in trouble?" Sierra asked, tears welling in her eyes.

"Even though Jen and I broke up, we are still friends. I don't appreciate you telling my friend off. Either apologize to her or we're through!" Taylor told Sierra.

"I'm not apologizing to her." Sierra announced after a brief silence.

"Fine – we're through!" Taylor shouted at Sierra.

"No! Taylor, you don't mean that!" Sierra shouted back. Taylor was too far out of earshot to hear her.

Sierra stumbled back to the guest house, tears streaming down her cheeks. Mimi was on call when she heard the screen door slam shut behind Sierra.

"Hold on, Frank. Let me call you back." Mimi told the man on the other end of the phone. She hung up the phone and went to Sierra's side of the guest house. She found Sierra under the covers, curled in a ball. She was hugging Piggy to her chest and bawling her eyes out. "Chica, what's wrong?"

"Taylor broke up with me!" Sierra sobbed. Mimi frowned, knowing that this was Sierra's first serious relationship.

"Want me to go slap him silly for you?" Mimi asked, hoping that would cheer Sierra up.

"No! I want to be alone." Sierra sobbed.

"Baby, it's not healthy to be by yourself. Do you want me to watch a movie with you?" Mimi asked.

"I thought you were on call." Sierra reminded her mother.

"You're more important right now. My chica has her heart broken for the first time."

Sierra let out a long whine and buried herself under the covers. Mimi buried her head in her hands, knowing that she should've had said that.

"Honey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said." Mimi apologized. Sierra poked her head out from under the blanket.

Mimi and Sierra actually had a great time – they watched Sierra's favorite horror movie – Grave Digger and ate chocolate ice cream.

The following day, Sierra avoided the barns, since both Taylor and Roger were working the horses.

"Hey, Sierra. I'm going to a movie and was wondering if you wanted to come." Dianna told Sierra as she entered the house for breakfast.

"Sure. Just as long as it's not a romantic comedy." Sierra replied, taking a long gulp of milk and ate her cereal.

"Okay. Want to see Snow White and the Huntsman?" Dianna suggested.

"Yeah. That looks awesome – I am a huge fan of Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron." Sierra told Dianna.

"So am I. There's a showing at 1:15. Want to go to that one?" Dianna asked.

"Sure." Sierra answered.

The girls decided that they would go out to lunch and then to the movie.

When they pulled into the movie theater parking lot, Dianna saw a familiar figure standing at the entrance to the theater. Dianna parked the car and motioned for Sierra to follow her.

"Hey Sara!" Dianna greeted the other girl. The girl looked to be about the girls' age. She had shoulder-length brown hair, brown eyes and stood about two inches taller than Dianna.

The girl wore a T-Shirt with a picture of Peeta Mellark on it and jeans. On her feet, she wore a pair of pink Crocs.

"Sara, this is Sierra. Sierra, this is Sara, my best friend." Dianna introduced the girls.

"It's nice to meet you." Sara told Sierra, smiling at her.

"Yeah, you too." Sierra responded, walking to the ticket counter to get a ticket for Snow White and the Huntsman. It was the only movie out that wasn't a chick-flick.

"I'm actually gonna go with Sierra to see a movie, but maybe next time, okay?" Dianna told Sara. Sara nodded and walked out of sight. Dianna then turned her attention back to Sierra. "Ready?"

Sierra nodded and the two of them headed into the theater. The coming attractions for other movies were playing, but that didn't bother the girls one bit. They found two seats towards the front and instantly turned off their cell phones.

Sierra was happy to be in Dianna's company and hoped that they would be friends for a long time.


	12. Forgiveness and Fireworks

**ONLY FIVE MORE CHAPTERS UNTIL THIS STORY IS COMPLETE! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY! THANKS!**

**~ Lucky**

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CHAPTER TWELVE  
(chapter title – Forgiveness & Fireworks)

Sierra and Taylor didn't speak to each other for three weeks. They also avoided each other when they could. When Taylor was in the barn, Sierra walked the other way.

"Sierra, this has got to stop!" Taylor told Sierra one afternoon. Sierra turned around so that she was facing him.

"Well, look who decided to talk to me again." Sierra seethed. Taylor rolled his eyes.

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened. It's just that Jen is my ex, but she's also my friend. She can be yours, too." Taylor said. It was Sierra's turn to roll her eyes.

"I don't want her to be my friend – she's rude, bossy and down right conceded. I wouldn't want to be friends with her if we were the last two people on Earth!" Sierra spat in Taylor's face. She spun on her heel and headed to the guest house.

The following day, Sierra was at the training oval, watching Roger put a Western saddle on Hercules' back. Hercules sniffed the object and sidestepped when Roger put it on him.

"Quit!" Roger told the horse, tightening the cinch and adjusting the stirrups. Hercules nudged Roger with his muzzle. Roger smiled and patted the horse's shoulder. That's when Roger caught Sierra's eye.

"Hey Roger!" Sierra called, startling Hercules. He whinnied frightfully, ears pinned flat against his head.

"Sierra, you can't do that!" Roger snapped. He then turned his attention to Hercules, letting him know that everything was okay.

Sierra stormed to the main house and sat down at the table. Mark looked up from reading the paper.

"You okay?" Mark asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

"I will be." Sierra snapped, helping herself to an apple from the basket in the middle of the table. She took a large bite and read the comic section of the paper.

"Sierra, watch your attitude, please." Mimi warned, coming into the kitchen.

"Well, your boyfriend snapped at me this morning, so I guess I should snap at everyone, too!" Sierra exclaimed, taking the rest of her apple and stormed out of the house. She headed to the guest house, slamming the door behind her.

Ten minutes later, Mimi stormed into the guest house and stood in front of Sierra, blocking her view of the TV.

"You make a better door than a window." Sierra told her mother. Mimi grabbed the remote and turned off the TV.

"You know, I'm really sick of this attitude. I know that you and Taylor broke up, but that doesn't mean you can take your anger out on the rest of us. Go back to the main house and apologize for your behavior. I then want you to apologize to Roger. Then I want you to see what you can help with – either in the barn or the house. I don't want you watching TV until later." Mimi told her daughter, her tone furious.

Sierra rolled her eyes and got off her bed, muttering things in Spanish.

"I heard that!" Mimi exclaimed, going to her side of the house to do some work. Sierra sighed and headed to the main house.

"Honey, there are two teenagers living in this house. It's okay." Maureen told Sierra, pulling her into a hug. Sierra smiled and headed to the barn.

Roger was back in the training oval with Hercules. Roger saw Sierra and walked over to her, Hercules following right behind him.

"It's okay, but don't do it again." Roger told Sierra. She smiled and let Roger get back to training.

She found some stuff to do in the main house. Maureen had her vacuum, dust and empty the dishwasher. As Sierra dusted, she saw pictures of young Roger and Mark, along with their parents and a girl she assumed was their sister. She also saw school pictures of all the kids, trophies, awards and ribbons won by all the Davis children.

Sierra waited until she was done with everything to talk to Maureen.

"Hey, Maureen, who's the red-haired girl in the pictures of Mark and Roger?" Sierra questioned, handing the picture to Maureen.

"That's April – Mark's twin sister. She died when she was a baby." Maureen answered.

"From what? How old was she?" Sierra questioned.

"Epiglottitis. She was two-months-old." Maureen said.

"Oh. I'm sorry." Sierra apologized.

"It's all right. Don't mention it to Mark – he's very sensitive when it comes to that subject." Maureen told Sierra.

Sierra nodded, promising that she wouldn't talk to Mark about her conversation with Maureen.

"You did a very nice job in here. I wish my own kids did this well with vacuuming and dusting." Maureen told Sierra, handing her a crisp ten dollar bill. Sierra smiled, thanked Maureen and stuffed it in her pocket.

That night was the fourth of July. Mark and Roger cooked hot dogs, hamburgers, turkey burgers (Dianna was a vegetarian), cheese burgers and roasted chicken on the grill, laughing and joking with each other.

Maureen, Sierra, Mimi and Taylor set the picnic table beside the main house. Sierra caught Taylor's eye and smiled at him. Taylor smiled back at her.

Dianna was in charge of the younger kids, but Sierra and Taylor were happy to help Dianna.

They were just sitting down to dinner when the fireworks started. It was a brilliant display of color – red, blue, white, purple, green, orange – every color of the rainbow.

"Look at that one!" Jun exclaimed as a magnificent orange, blue and yellow pinwheel exploded in the sky.

The display lasted for three hours, everyone oohing and aahing at the display.

In the light of the fireworks, Sierra caught Taylor's eye.

"I'm glad we're friends again." Sierra told Taylor.

"So am I." Taylor replied.

_Cause baby, you're a firework  
Come on, show 'em what you're worth  
Make 'em go oh, oh, oh  
As you shoot across the sky_


	13. Lightening Storm & Only Hope

**ONLY FOUR MORE CHAPTERS UNTIL THIS STORY IS FINISHED!**

* * *

CHAPTER THIRTEEN  
(chapter title – Lightening Storm & Only Hope)_  
_

A week later, Roger decided that it was too hot to work Hercules. He saw Mimi out power-walking near the barn and smiled.

"Hey Mimi!" Roger called. Mimi stopped power-walking and jogged over to Roger. The two of them rarely had a moment alone together. Roger thought to seize the moment before something else came up.

"Hey Roger!" Mimi called back to the handsome cowboy.

"I was thinking about taking a ride. Wanna join me? I was thinking we could ride to the swimming hole and hang out." Roger said, taking off his black cowboy hat and ran a hand through his hair.

"Sure." Mimi said. Roger smiled and led Mimi to the barn.

Roger rode his new horse – a bay Quarter Horse gelding named Rimrock. Rimrock was a handsome boy – the only white marking he had was a lightening-shaped blaze that zigzagged across his face.

Roger led out a beautiful sorrel Quarter Horse gelding named Shanty Man for Mimi. Mimi looked to Big Ben's stall and sighed sadly. He was the first horse she had ridden on the ranch and now he was up in horse heaven with the rest of his friends who had passed on.

Sadly, when the gang was bringing the cattle to the ranch in the winter, a bull got loose and Big Ben went to get him back with the herd. The bull spooked and ran one of his horns into Big Ben's leg. Big Ben lost a lot of blood and it was decided that he would be put down on the spot. There wasn't anything that anyone could do for the horse – the bull's horn went through-and-through. Big Ben would've turned eight-years-old in the spring.

"You okay?" Roger asked, helping Mimi mount Shanty Man. Mimi nodded and watched Roger adjust her stirrups and tighten the cinch once more before mounting Rimrock.

"Yeah. Besides riding Big Ben, I haven't ridden a horse since I was a teenager." Mimi answered, nudging Shanty Man into a walk. The horse lunged forward and sprang into a sideways walk. "What am I doing wrong?"

"Nothing. He's being stupid. Shanty, stop it!" Roger told the horse. Shanty Man snorted and shook his magnificent head. Roger turned his gaze to Mimi. "Hold your extra reins in your left hand. With your right, hold the reins so you can feel his mouth. He's really sensitive, so only small movements, all right?"

Mimi nodded and gently nudged Shanty Man into a walk. This time, he obeyed. She patted his neck and walked beside Roger as they headed on their ride.

It was a silent ride through the valley. Mimi looked up and saw two vultures circling overhead. It was so peaceful and quiet as they rode. The only noise was the horse's breaths and their hoof beats on the grass.

"Mimi, can I talk to you about something?" Roger asked.

"Sure."

"I heard through Maureen about how you talked to Sierra like she was a kid. She was going through depression about her break up with Taylor. Taylor was going through the same thing. I just cut him some slack about the break up."

"I have my reasons about the way I talk to my daughter."

"Name two."

"One – she's my only child, so I need to watch out for her well-being."

"What's the second reason?"

"She's been acting out since her best friend died. She did drugs for a while and she also drank."

"Do you think she was doing those things to get your attention?"

Mimi felt her heart sink – she never thought about that.

"I don't know how to talk to her, Roger. I had her when I was eighteen. Do you think I'm a good mom?"

"I think you're a great mom, but I don't like the way you talk to Sierra sometimes."

"What do you think I should do?"

"Well, don't punish her. She's a teenager – they'll act out more if you punish them."

"Okay."

"Secondly, listen to what she has to say. If you're busy, put your work away and take time to listen to her. Also, it might be fun if you two did something together. Taylor and I, along with Maureen and Dianna, go bowling every Tuesday. You and Sierra should come with us."

"Sierra doesn't like bowling."

"She doesn't or you don't?"

"Actually, both of us don't. Is there something that the six of us could do together?"

"What about going to a movie?"

"Both of us like movies."

"Great. How about we go to a movie tonight – just the two of us. I want a chance to get to know you better."

Mimi felt herself blush, but avoided her face so that Roger couldn't see it.

"Going back to you – how is your relationship with Taylor?"

"How do you mean?"

"Do you guys have a good relationship or a rocky one like Sierra and I?"

"We have a good relationship. We talk about everything and I'm there to listen to him. I never am too busy for my son. I think you need to pick a time and spend it with Sierra, instead of taking calls."

Mimi nodded and turned her attention to a knot in Shanty Man's mane.

What seemed like a lifetime, they arrived at the swimming hole. Roger and Mimi untacked the horses and tied them to a tree. They were grazing happily, so Mimi and Roger left them alone.

Roger stripped off his shirt and dove headfirst into the swimming hole. He emerged a few seconds later, shaking the water out of his face.

"Come on in, Mimi! The water's warm!" Roger called. Mimi watched him swim and noticed the large Celtic knot on his left forearm. On his right forearm, he saw a tattoo of a woman. On his shoulder blades, he had the names of his children inked in a circle, including one he never talked about.

"I'm coming!" Mimi called back, taking off her top. She dipped her toe in the water and ran into Roger's arms. He laughed and dunked her under the water playfully. Mimi laughed and looked into his emerald green eyes. Roger placed a hand behind her head and gently guided her face to his. Ever so gently, he kissed her lips.

"You are so beautiful." Roger whispered in Mimi's ear. They were lying on their backs on the grass, air drying.

Mimi propped herself on an elbow, turning so that she was facing Roger.

"Can I ask you two questions."

"Sure."

"One – who is the woman on your right forearm and two – who's Bella?"

"Answer one – that's Lucy – my wife. Two – Bella was our first daughter."

"What do you mean 'first daughter'?"

"Before Lucy and I were married, we had a daughter while we were juniors in high school. I was sixteen and she was fifteen at the time. Our parents made us give up Bella for adoption, but they helped us find a good home for her. Neither of us wanted anything to do with her adoptive parents."

"Why?"

"To this day, I have no idea."

"How old is she now?"

"She would be fourteen."

"Do you know if the parents kept her birth name?"

"No – they changed it to Mari, which I think is kind of pretty."

"That is pretty. Now, answer my question – why didn't you have any contact with her adoptive parents?"

"It was actually my dad's decision. He was super strict and when he found out I had gotten Lucy pregnant, he forbade me to see her and he said that when the baby was born, I was to have no contact with the baby's adoptive parents."

"What about your mom and Mark? What did they have to say about it?"

"My mom died three days after Bella was born, but she was all for me keeping her. Mark's three years younger than me, so he hadn't had 'the talk' yet with dad."

"Did you have any other siblings besides Mark?"

"Mark had a twin, but she died when she was a baby. Her name was April." Roger answered.

"Oh. I'm sorry." Mimi apologized, realizing that she should not have said anything.

"It's okay. When I couldn't see Lucy, I worked with my parent's horses, which I enjoyed. My dad had a ranch with about fifty head of cattle and twenty horses. Ten of the twenty horses I helped break."

"Break?"

"Get them used to me – I would brush them, get them used to a lunge line, get them used to a lead rope. I also got them used to a saddle pad, halter, saddle and bridle."

"Oh. Now I got it."

"Why didn't you break the other horses?"

"They were too vicious or mean-tempered for me to handle."

"Did you have any favorites?"

"I did. My favorite mare was this beautiful tri-color paint named Ladybug. She was my horse. She was mostly white, but had brown and black splotches. Altogether, her splotches looked like the US map. The thing I loved about her was her eyes – they were deep blue. Most horses have brown eyes, but paints are the only horses that have blue eyes."

Mimi smiled and listened to Roger talk about Ladybug.

"She sounds like a special horse." Mimi said, standing up and stretched. A noise made her look up – a flash of lightening zigzagged across the sky.

"We need to get out of here – now!" Roger commanded, quickly saddling up both horses. Both boys neighed frightfully as lightening made its appearance in the sky.

"How come I didn't hear any thunder or see any rain?" Mimi asked as they headed away from the swimming hole.

"Because this is a lightening storm – one of the most dangerous storms in Montana." Roger answered, heeling Rimrock into a gallop. Mimi mimicked Roger's actions and heeled Shanty Man into a gallop.

Lightening struck a nearby tree, setting it on fire. Soon, the fire was blazing behind them. They had about half an hour to ride to the ranch.

"We're almost there!" Roger called over his shoulder, flames crackling behind them. Shanty Man had spooked, nearly throwing Mimi, but she kept her balance and her seat.

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the barn just as Mark, Maureen and the kids exited the house, pails, buckets and anything else that could hold water in their hands. Roger and Mimi quickly took care of the horses before going to help the family contain the fire.

An hour later, the fire was put out and everyone was sitting on the porch, eating popcorn and watching the stars. Roger removed his overshirt and placed it over Mimi's shoulders. Mimi leaned against him and looked into the night sky. She could feel his arms embrace and hold her close.

The following afternoon, Roger and Mimi caught an afternoon movie. They decided to see the remake of Spider-Man, since it was the only thing decent out that they could agree on.

During the entire movie, they held hands and fed each other popcorn. Roger put an arm around Mimi's waist and left it there. She snuggled against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

The following night, Roger took Mimi to an open mic. He had heard from Sierra that her mom had a good singing voice.

With a lot of encouragement from Roger, Mimi signed up for the open mic and chose to sing the song 'Only Hope' from her favorite movie 'A Walk to Remember'.

"And now, our last singer of the night is Mimi Marquez singing Only Hope." The host announced. Mimi took the stage, glaring at Roger the whole time.

'I'm gonna kill you Davis!' Mimi mouthed while the intro was playing. Roger grinned from ear-to-ear and sipped his beer.

"_There's a song that's inside of my soul  
It's the one that I've tried to write  
Over and over and over again  
I'm awake in the infinite cold  
But you sing to me over and  
Over and over again_." Mimi started, staring out into the audience. Roger continued smiling as Mimi continued singing.

"_So I lay my head back down  
And I lift my hands and pray  
To be only yours I pray  
To be only yours I know now  
You're my only hope_

_Sing to me the song of the stars  
Of your galaxy dancing and  
Laughing and laughing again  
When it feels like my dreams are so far  
Sing to me of the plans that you have  
For me over again_

_So I lay my head back down  
And I lift my hands and pray  
To be only yours I pray  
To be only yours I know now  
You're my only hope_

I give you my destiny  
I'm giving you all of me  
I want your symphony  
Singing in all that I am  
At the top of my lungs  
I'm giving it back

." Mimi sang, gripping both sides of the microphone stand. She had the audience on their feet, cheering and clapping, encouraging her.

"_So I lay my head back down  
And I lift my hands and pray  
To be only yours I pray  
To be only yours I pray  
To be only yours I know now  
You're my only hope_."

There was a burst of applause and cheering as Mimi finished the song. She smiled, gave a small bow and exited the stage. She found Roger and embraced him. Roger smiled and kissed her back, knowing that in his heart, Mimi was the girl for him.


	14. Mimi, Will You Marry Me?

**HEY EVERYONE! SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED THW IN A WHILE, BUT I'VE BEEN OUT OF TOWN AT A FRIEND OF A FRIEND'S WEDDING. I HAD A GREAT TIME - THE BRIDE EVEN GAVE ME HER BOQUET - THAT MADE ME SO INCREDIBLY HAPPY! I EVEN GOT SOME STORY IDEAS FROM HER WEDDING.**

**SPEAKING OF STORIES, THIS ONE ONLY HAS THREE CHAPTERS LEFT! PLEASE R/R IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY!**

**THANKS AGAIN,**

**~ Lucky**

* * *

CHAPTER FOURTEEN  
(chapter title – Mimi, Will You Marry Me?)

Roger had a wonderful dream that night – he had asked Mimi to become his wife and she had agreed.

Mark and Roger went to the jewelry store the following afternoon. Roger found the perfect ring that was in his budget. It was a gold band with silver and emeralds in it.

Roger paid for the ring and the two of them headed back to the ranch. Mark had Maureen take Mimi shopping while Dianna, Taylor and Sierra took the younger kids to a movie. They were gonna see Brave, since it was the only movie they could agree on. When Mimi and Maureen got home from shopping, Mark and Maureen were going to see Magic Mike.

Roger went down to the barn to tack up two horses – Mailman and Summer. He would ride Summer and have Mimi ride Mailman. He tacked up both horses under Western tack. He then went to the tack room to get a saddle bag. In it, he put a bottle of white wine, two plastic wine glasses, some peanut butter sandwiches and apple slices for the horses. He put the ring in his shirt pocket. In his jeans pocket, he had his iPod set to the song 'Bella Notte' from Lady and the Tramp. His idea was to have Bella Notte playing while they watched the sun set and have some wine.

It was then that Mimi walked into the barn and Roger felt his heart melt to the floor. She wore a colorful skirt and a white shirt. Her hair was pulled off her face and into a low ponytail.

"Hey. Mark said you wanted to see me." Mimi said, petting Mailman's neck.

"Yeah. I was out riding earlier and I found this great trail. Wanna go for a ride?" Roger asked, already mounting Summer. "I'm riding Summer. You're gonna ride Mailman."

"O-kay." Mimi said, mounting Mailman.

Once the two of them were on their horses, Roger took the lead. He was taking Mimi to the spot where he had proposed to Lucy.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the spot. It was a clearing with trees and a stream that ran through the center of the clearing. Above Roger and Mimi was the beautiful blue sky.

"Wow! This is an amazing place!" Mimi breathed as she dismounted Mailman. Roger smiled and dismounted Summer. He put on the horse's halters and tied them to a nearby tree. He then got out the wine, sandwiches and wine glasses out of the saddle bag.

The two of them sat upon a tree stump and watched the sun set. It was then that Roger got his iPod out of his pocket and pressed play. The beautiful words of Bella Notte filled the air.

"Hey, Mimi. Can I ask you something?" Roger asked as the sun sank lower on the horizon.

"Of course, Rog." Mimi said, pouring herself another glass of wine. It was her second. She noticed that Roger was still on his first. She also noticed that he was jittery and jumpy.

"I've loved you ever since you first appeared on my ranch five months ago. You mean the whole wide world to me and I want to share my world with you." He then took her left hand in his. "Marissa Elizabeth Marquez, will you marry me?"

"Yes. Yes. I'll marry you!" Mimi squealed, hugging Roger's neck as he slipped the ring on her finger. Roger then kissed her lips and held her, not wanting to let her go.

They eventually mounted the horses and rode back to the ranch, Mimi happier than she had ever been.

She let the others see her ring when they entered the house, never leaving Roger's side. He kissed her forehead and drew her close to him.

They spent the following day going over wedding details. They settled on a date – June 15th and the location for the service would be at the Unitarian Universalist church where Roger grew up. Mimi found a wonderful Unitarian minister named Catherine who was more than happy to perform the service.

"I want Mark to be my best man and Taylor to be a groomsman. Riley's going to be the ring bearer." Roger told Mimi as they laid in Roger's bed that night.

"I was going to ask Maureen to be my maid of honor. Sierra, Marie and Dianna are going to be bridesmaids. Amanda and June are going to be flower girls." Mimi told Roger, laying her head on his shoulder.

"I have an idea. Since our parents are no longer living, how about having Mark walk you down the aisle?" Roger suggested. Mimi smiled.

"I love that idea." Mimi said, closing her eyes.

"I love you." Roger whispered, turning off the lamp on the bedside table.

"Love you, too." Mimi mumbled into the darkness. Roger smiled and kissed the top of her head. He then wrapped his arms around her petite waist and held her close.

In a few short months, Marissa Elizabeth Marquez would become Marissa Elizabeth Marquez-Davis.


	15. The Wedding & The Honeymoon

**TWO MORE CHAPTERS UNTIL THIS STORY IS COMPLETE. THERE MAY OR MAY NOT BE A SEQUEL - I'LL WAIT AND SEE HOW MY MUSE INSPIRES ME FOR IT.**

**AFTER I FINISH THIS STORY, I WILL ONLY BE WORKING ON CHAPTER STORIES FOR A WHILE. IF YOU HAVE A FAVORITE CHAPTER STORY THAT YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO UPDATE, LET ME KNOW AND I'LL SEE WHAT I CAN DO. THE CHAPTER STORIES THAT NEED TO BE COMPLETED ARE:**

**~ Derby Dreaming (RENT)  
~ What Happens In Vegas, Stays In Vegas (RENT & CSI crossover)  
~ Living For Today (Robin Hood, 2010)  
~ Old West (RENT)  
~ Across the Universe (RENT)  
and  
~ Leaving the Past Behind (RENT)**

**THEY ARE ALL TEN CHAPTER STORIES. IF YOU WISH THEM TO BE LONGER, I'LL ALSO SEE WHAT I CAN DO.**

**FOR NOW, PLEASE ENJOY CHAPTER FIFTEEN OF THE HORSE WHISPERER.**

**~ Lucky**

* * *

CHAPTER FIFTEEN  
(chapter title – The Wedding & The Honeymoon)

Mimi and Roger were at the rehearsal dinner when Mimi had to use the bathroom. Roger, Mark and Maureen patiently waited for her to finish in the bathroom.

That's when an article in the newspaper caught Mimi's eye. It said that Joseph Marquez was shot and killed in a street fight. He was twenty-nine-years-old.

"I don't care about that scumbag anymore." Mimi muttered as she finished up in the bathroom. She told the others about Joseph. They expressed their condolences then turned their attention back to what Catherine was saying.

The following day was the wedding and the weather was wonderful. Mimi rode with Mark and the girls to the church. Roger and the boys would be meeting them there.

"I can't wait to marry the man of my dreams!" Mimi squealed, looking at herself in the mirror. Her dress was ivory colored and tea-length. It was also strapless. The girls wore strapless sky-blue bridesmaids dresses. The groomsmen and the ring bearer wore sky-blue bow ties that matched the women's dresses.

Maureen was doing Mimi's hair. Mimi wanted it styled in a French knot, since her hair was long enough for it. Maureen had her hair pulled into a tight French braid. Sierra and Dianna also had their hair in French braids. Amanda, June and Marie had their hair in a regular braid.

A few minutes later, everyone was ready to head down the aisle. Mark smiled as Mimi walked over to him.

"Wow! You look beautiful!" Mark whispered as Maureen handed Mimi her flowers and straightened the necklace she had on. All the girls had necklaces on that had a silver heart charm attached.

"Mark, I'm fine walking down the aisle by myself." Mimi whispered. Mark kissed her cheek and walked down the aisle to where Roger was waiting.

"All rise." Catherine told the eighty-nine attendants. They rose and watched Mimi walk down the aisle to the string quartet playing 'Vivaldi's Spring'.

She smiled and looked straight ahead as she walked down the aisle. Eventually, she reached Roger's side and smiled at him.

"You look beautiful." Roger whispered as the attendants sat down.

"You look handsome." Mimi whispered back.

The wedding went wonderfully – there was music (mostly the Beatles), readings and two poems that were read.

Roger and Mimi wrote their own vows and exchanged them, along with rings.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." Catherine told Roger. Roger drew Mimi close to him and kissed her passionately. Mimi kissed him back, just as passionate.

The two of them walked up the aisle to the string quartet playing 'Til There Was You' from The Music Man.

The reception was held at a country club a ten minute drive from the church. Roger and Mimi never left each other's sides.

Roger and Mimi's first dance was another Beatles favorite – In My Life. The two of them danced around the dance floor, elegant and graceful.

They danced to a couple more Beatles songs before opening up the dance floor to everyone else. They led the attends in the Cha Cha Slide, Electric Slide and the Chicken Dance. Other than that, it was either 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and current music playing.

"Hey, Rog, would it be all right if I stole Mimi for a dance?" Benny asked. Roger nodded and watched Benny dance with Mimi. It wasn't long that Alison came over and asked Roger for a dance.

After that, people started leaving. First to go were Collins, Angel, Benny and Alison. Shortly after them, some of Roger's relatives he invited left, wishing Mimi and Roger a happy life together.

Once everyone left, Roger and Mimi went back to the ranch to change their clothes before Mark took them to the airport. They were going on their honeymoon to Venice, Italy for a month.

Mimi slept on the airplane, while Roger held her hand, studying her hands. The man on the opposite side of Roger would not stop talking. Roger tuned him out and put on the headphones that the flight attendant gave him and Mimi when they boarded the plane.

About three hours later, they landed in Italy. Roger kissed Mimi's forehead as she yawned and stretched.

"How long was I asleep?" Mimi croaked as she and Roger exited the plane. Roger grabbed their travel bags out of the overhead compartment and took Mimi's hand in his.

"The entire flight, sweetie." Roger told her as they walked into the busy, hot airport. Thankfully, the directions were in both Italian and English, so it was fairly easy to get to baggage claim.

Roger got a taxi to take him and Mimi to the hotel he had booked for the month. The taxi driver nodded and drove them there right away.

"Your first time in Italy?" the cabdriver asked.

"Si. It's our honeymoon." Mimi replied, digging for her Italian dictionary.

"When you are here, make sure to go to Bella Notte's – wonderful spaghetti!" the cabdriver praised as he pulled up to the front of the hotel where the lovebirds were staying.

"Thank you. We'll keep it in mind." Roger told the cabdriver, paying for the cab and gave the cabdriver a tip.

Roger and Mimi were in the honeymoon suite, which was extremely beautiful. The bed was shaped like a heart and was towards the back of the room. On either side were bedside tables.

Towards the center of the room, was a table set for two. In the middle of the table was a wine cooler and two silver platters. There also was a red rose in a vase.

To the right of the entrance, was the bathroom. To the left, was an enormous walk-in closet.

"Honey, are you hungry?" Roger asked as he unpacked his suitcase. Mimi smiled and made sure Roger saw the leopard-print lingerie that Maureen had gotten her at her bachelorette party under her pillow.

"Starved. That's for later, if you're good." Mimi told Roger, sitting down in front of him. Roger smiled and was glad that he married this woman.

He poured both of them a half-glass of red wine and toasted their marriage. Mimi smiled and sipped her wine.

The two of them dined on salad, spaghetti and assorted cookies for dessert.

After dessert, Mimi slipped into the bathroom and put on the lingerie. She then walked out to the bedroom and frowned – Roger was fast asleep and snoring.

"Roger, don't you want to have some fun tonight?" Mimi purred, climbing on top of Roger, slowly kissing his face. Roger opened his eyes and placed his hands on either side of her, also kissing her lips.

Mimi had Roger sit up so that she could remove his shirt. She ran her hands all over his chest, looking at all the pain he had gone through as a trainer, husband and father.

Roger kissed Mimi's shoulders as he removed her lingerie. He wanted her all to himself and was enjoying being with her.

Eight weeks into their honeymoon, however, Mimi got really sick. Roger would sit with her while she threw up every morning, afternoon and evening.

"When we get home, I'm taking you to the doctor." Roger said as he held Mimi's hair away from her face.

"Rog, it's probably nothing. I probably have the stomach flu or something." Mimi assured Roger as she watched Roger pack up the rest of their things. They were leaving that day, but neither of them wanted to go.

"We'll see what the doctor says." Roger told her as he packed up the suitcase and grabbed a chocolate chip cookie for the cab ride to the airport.

Mimi slept in the cab and after they finished with customs. Roger went to grab French fries and a hot chocolate for Mimi while he grabbed a slice of cheese pizza and a Coke for himself. He paid for his purchases and went to find Mimi.

Mimi gobbled down the fries before they were on the plane and drank half her hot chocolate. Roger gave her some of the crust from the pizza and let her sip his Coke.

Two days after they arrived home, Roger drove Mimi to the doctor. She asked Mimi some basic questions before going to get the sonogram machine.

She hooked up the machine to Mimi and turned on the screen. Her assistant, a young redheaded boy, placed the special gel on the wand and ran it over Mimi's belly. No sooner than the assistant placed the wand on Mimi's stomach when a loud thumping sound filled the air. Five minutes later, a second loud thumping sound also filled the air.

"Congrats you two – looks like you're having twins! Mimi, you're about a month along and it sounds like both babies are healthy." The doctor told Mimi and Roger.

"T-Twins?" Roger gasped.

"I can't believe that I'm carrying twins!" Mimi squealed, watching the assistant clean off her belly.

"It's July now, so your babies will be born on or around April 15th. Mimi, I'm writing you out a prescription for some prenatal vitamins. You can pick them up at the pharmacy here. Congratulations again you two!" the doctor told the couple, handing the prescription to Roger. Mimi sat up and looked at Roger's face.

"Rog, it will be fine. We'll be fine." Mimi assured Roger as he pushed her in a wheelchair to the elevator.

"I hope so, Meems. I really don't want the same thing to happen to us that happened to Mark and April." Roger said. Mimi frowned, knowing exactly what Roger meant.

"They have modern medicine now, so hopefully our babies won't get it." Mimi said, suddenly sad. She really didn't want it to happen, but in her heart, she wouldn't be the one to decide what happened to her babies.


	16. The New Arrivals & Hercules' Recovery

**ONE MORE CHAPTER UNTIL THIS STORY IS FINISHED! THERE WILL NOT BE A SEQUEL! SORRY!**

**~ Lucky**

* * *

CHAPTER SIXTEEN  
(chapter title – The New Arrivals & Hercules' Recovery)

_Nine months later_

Mimi, Roger, Sierra and Taylor had been at the hospital since April 12th. Mimi had gone into labor and was now in the operating room, getting prepped for an emergency C-Section. Twin A was bigger than the birth cannel, so Mimi couldn't deliver properly.

The only one that was allowed in the operating room was Roger. Sierra and Taylor went to the gift shop to get something for their new siblings.

Sierra found a pink onesie while Taylor found a matching blue one. They were the only ones, besides Roger and Mimi, who knew that the babies were a boy and a girl. Sierra and Taylor were the only ones that knew their names. Mimi and Roger had let Sierra and Taylor pick out the babies names. Sierra picked Christopher Gavin for the boy and Taylor picked Alanna Christine for the girl.

"Sierra and Taylor, come see your new brother and sister." Roger whispered as Taylor and Sierra entered Mimi's room with their purchases.

"Oh my God! Dad, they're beautiful!" Sierra whispered. Roger smiled and had Sierra and Taylor sit in the white rockers near the large picture window towards the back of the room. Roger handed Christopher to Sierra and Alanna to Taylor, instructing both of them how to hold the precious cargo.

"Dad, you do remember I have two younger sisters, right?" Taylor reminded Roger, not looking up from holding Alanna.

"Right. I forgot." Roger whispered, taking pictures of Sierra and Taylor holding their new brother and sister.

"Who was born first?" Sierra asked. She and Taylor had a bet – if Alanna was born first, then Taylor would have to do Sierra's chores for a week. If Christopher was born first, then Sierra would have to do Taylor's chores for a week.

"Alanna." Roger replied, placing both babies in their incubators. The four of them were in the hospital room while Mimi was in recovery. Roger was about to head there soon.

"Ha! Taylor, you owe me fifteen bucks!" Sierra whispered. Taylor rolled his eyes and paid Sierra the fifteen bucks he owed her.

Roger had Sierra and Taylor stay with Alanna and Christopher while he went to see Mimi. A short while later, Roger came in the room with Mimi. She was in a wheelchair and was transferred to the hospital bed with ease.

Taylor and Sierra left while Roger and Mimi bonded with the babies. They went to the waiting room where Mark, Maureen, June, Marie, Dianna, Riley and Amanda were waiting patiently.

"How is everyone?" Mark asked, looking up from the Scrabble game he was playing with Maureen, Dianna and Marie.

"Mom had the babies. She had a boy, Christopher Gavin, and a girl, Alanna Christine. Alanna came first at 11:23 AM. Christopher came ten minutes later. They had to do an emergency C-Section because Alanna couldn't fit through the birth cannel. Mom just got out of recovery. She and dad are with the babies now." Taylor told everyone.

Taylor had gotten used to calling Mimi mom. Sierra still had a little trouble calling Roger dad.

_Three months later_

Roger smiled as he gave Sierra a boost into Hercules' saddle. Sierra stroked Hercules' silky soft mane and hugged his neck. She couldn't believe she was riding her beloved horse.

"Thank you for all the hard work you've done for him." Sierra thanked Roger. Roger smiled and double checked Sierra's cinch and stirrups. He then unclipped the lead rope from Hercules' halter. Roger stood in the middle of the pen, watching Sierra ride her beloved horse.

The whole family was there to watch her ride. She felt prouder as she sat in the saddle. Roger had worked very hard with Hercules in order to get him to trust people again.

"Ask him for the lope." Roger told Sierra as they jogged around the pen.

"Hercules, lope." Sierra commanded Hercules. He snorted and transitioned beautifully into the lope. She let out a whoop as they loped around the pen.

She was gonna ask Roger if she could gallop him, but she could see the lather coming off his body. Sierra had been riding Hercules since the sun had come up at 7:00 AM. It was now close to 3:30 PM. She had stopped to use the bathroom and eat a quick lunch, but other than that, she had been on Hercules' back.

"It feels wonderful to be on him again! I feel like I'm the sixteen-year-old girl who fell in love with him." Sierra told Roger as they cooled him down.

"You're not sixteen anymore – you're almost eighteen. Soon, you'll be joining Dianna and Taylor at Montana State University." Roger reminded Sierra.

"Don't worry, dad. You have Alanna, Christopher, Marie, June, Riley, Amanda and James to keep you busy." Sierra reminded her dad. James was born a week after Alanna and Christopher. James was Maureen and Mark's new baby boy.

"I'm gonna miss you so much." Roger told Sierra, pulling her into a hug. Sierra smiled and hugged Roger back.

Roger opened the pen door so that Sierra could put Hercules in his stall. Sierra untacked Hercules and gave him a bucketful of carrots and apples. She then put Hercules' red sheet, leg wraps, tail bag, sleazy and halter on him before leaving him for the night.

Sierra went to Dianna's old room and collapsed onto the bed, not bothering to change into her pajamas. She fell asleep, happy about finally riding Hercules. If she hadn't gelded him, he would've made a great breeding stallion.

She dreamt about her life outside the ranch. She saw herself and Taylor running the ranch, along with their four children.

Smiling, Sierra got herself comfortable and continued dreaming about her and Taylor's life. She hoped that it would come true.


	17. Epilogue Go The Distance

**THIS IS THE FINAL CHAPTER! THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO READ, REVIEWED AND PUT THIS STORY ON THEIR STORY ALERTS LIST! THAT MEANS A LOT TO ME, GUYS (AND GIRLS)!**

**LIKE I MENTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER, THERE WILL NOT BE A SEQUEL, SO YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT HAPPENED TO EVERYONE AND THEIR FAMILIES.**

**PLEASE KEEP READING MY STORIES - I HOPE YOU ENJOY THEM AS MUCH AS I ENJOY WRITING THEM.**

**~ Lucky**

* * *

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN  
(chapter title – Epilogue: Go The Distance)

_I have often dreamed  
Of a far off place  
Where a great warm welcome  
Will be waiting for me_

Taylor and Sierra were now married and running their own ranch called The Lazy Tierra. Tierra was combining their first names. Hercules was happy in his large box stall – the first one on the left-hand side. Across from Hercules was Strawberry and next to Strawberry was Love Bug.

Taylor and Sierra welcomed a son that they named Duffy. The three of them couldn't be happier.

_Where the crowds will cheer  
When they see my face  
And a voice keeps saying  
This is where I'm meant to be_

Dianna settled down and married a neighbor boy named Jeremy. They own the ranch next to Taylor and Sierra's ranch. Their ranch is called The Lazy J.

A year after opening The Lazy J, Dianna and Jeremy welcomed a daughter named Brianna into the world.

_I will find my way  
I can go the distance  
I'll be there some day  
If I can be strong  
I know every mile  
Will be worth my while  
I would go most anywhere  
To feel like I belong_

With happiness comes sadness – Roger was out riding a new horse when the horse spooked and threw Roger. He hit his head on a rock and died instantly. Mimi died from a broken heart three days later.

Mark suddenly passed away, leaving Maureen to care for their three kids – James, Anna and Jasmine. A year after Mark's sudden passing, Maureen met Bill and fell in love with him.

_I am on my way  
I can go the distance  
I don't care how far  
Somehow I'll be strong_

The younger kids – June, Amanda, Riley and Marie – settled down and started families of their own. They were the only ones in their families to not be ranchers.

June went to be on Broadway and is starring as Ariel in a new production of The Little Mermaid. Riley is also on Broadway, starring as Hercules in the musical Hercules.

_I know every mile  
Will be worth my while_

Amanda owns a bridal boutique and is very successful.

_I would go most anywhere  
To find where I belong_

After college, Marie joined the Peace Corps and traveled to Mexico to help out teaching there. She fell in love with a civilian named José and married him. A year later, she gave birth to twins – a boy and a girl. They named the boy Tito and the girl Esmeralda.

Everyone is happy, healthy and loving life.


End file.
